In Trust I Found Treason
by Elysia1
Summary: INCOMPLETE: Harry's Sixth year is full of surprises! Pre HBP
1. Chapter One

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Author name: Elysia_Snape

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Author email: my_severus_snape@hotmail.com

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Rating: PG

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Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, FB, QTTA

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Summary: Harry Potter Sixth Year

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DISCLAIMER: 

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. 

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Authors Notes: 

Hello All! This is a repost of Harry Potter and the first sixth year fic, due to several complaints (justified) I changed the name. The repost has a few corrections in it but no major changes so please keep enjoying the story. Please review as it makes the experience better for both of us.

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Major Thanks: 

To my fantastic beta's who made this possible. I have had several come and go and will thank them all here, thanks Lumos (Julie), Kitty, Ron Weasley, Amber Ford, Jackie, Darque, Tracey and Nick Wags!

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"In trust, I have found treason." Queen Elizabeth II  


IN TRUST I FOUND TREASON  
Chapter One

Harry's summer had been more painful then the last. He sat in the dark of his small clustered bedroom of Number 4 Privet Drive and rubbed away the pain stinging in his famous scar. His scar had woken him again and he cursed the fact that he was locked up in Privet Drive. 

There had been one small improvement this year. The news was out.

But this did little to improve Harry's depression. After another painful battle Harry longed to know what it would be like to have a normal year for once. The pain from losing his Godfather had finally sunk in once he had returned to the stark loveless house on Privet Drive once again. 

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I am never going to leave this place. Harry thought painfully as he trudged up the stairs with his luggage that first day back. The pain that had engulfed him was huge, and he lay on the floor of the room a shaking sobbing mess. His cries of pain didn't even stir the retorts of his bullying cousin Dudley. The Dursleys were being particularly ignorant of Harry's existence after Mad-Eye had threatened Uncle Vernon at the train station. 

Harry's pain, anger and guilt that had festered dangerously during his last weeks at Hogwarts and now they had all but absorbed into feelings of loss and helplessness. He grieved like he had never grieved before, not for Cedric, not even for his lost parents. Sirius was gone.

Harry could hardly do anything that first week, forcing himself to move, sleep, and eat. His eyes were constantly fogged with tears and every thought was painful and sad. He cried for Sirius. The Sirius he loved, the Sirius he knew. The Sirius he endangered. The truth was more painful than Harry contemplated. Devastated with grief he felt alone like a bare tree atop a hill ravaged by a violent thunderstorm.

Harry trudged around Privet Drive and the surrounding suburbs with the weight of the world on his shoulders. And it really was nothing, after days of crying he felt blank.

He still read the Daily Prophet hungrily to hear of Voldemort's activities. The Dementors had escaped Azkaban, and the Wizarding World had been thrown into chaos. Fear flew among the people who had ignored the rumours of Voldemort's rise. They finally had proof, there were few sceptics now the Ministry had confirmed it. Harry wondered if Percy believed him now.

The newspapers, surprisingly, were not riddled with deaths, Dark Marks and disappearances as Harry had expected. Harry set his teeth in a grimace. This hadn't meant it was over, far from it, just that The Order and Voldemort must be acting in secret. In secret from him, Harry had grumbled, once again feeling lost and exiled from the Wizarding world. The newspapers were issuing speculation, and increasing fear, Harry tried to set the stories from his mind however with nothing else to entertain him but the echoing grief it was a difficult task.

Harry got out of bed and stumbled over to his small desk that was clustered with broken toys. He shook the small torch that was kept there and the batteries rattled until they gave light. Harry longed to cast _Lumos_ and he felt his wand pulse gently. He had taped it to his arm, safely away from both buttocks, and was never without it. He could not face any further trouble from the Misuse of Magic department especially with his record.

He was looking for some stationary. He needed to write to Dumbledore. That first week at home had been an important part of the grieving process, but it had left him confused and vulnerable, and he knew it. Luckily Voldemort was busy trying to reform his loyal followers and protect himself from the openness of the press, otherwise he could have taken advantage of the connection he had with Harry. Harry tried hard not to think about his connection with the Dark Lord but after another restless night and painful twinges of his scar he knew he had to write to Dumbledore.

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Dear Professor Dumbledore,

Harry began writing quietly listening for the sleeping sounds of his family. 

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I hope this reaches you well. I am not.

He scratched the letter angrily. He needed to communicate to Dumbledore without putting the Order at risk. Or himself. If Voldemort knew of Harry's current state he could surely control him. Harry shuddered desperately and wondered if Voldemort was feeding him subliminal messages. It was too frightful to think about. He put his head in his hands and tried to find a solution. 

If only he had a wizarding picture that he could send to do his bidding. Wizarding pictures were unique in the fact that they moved and talked - the picture could float, as pictures do, straight into the Headmasters Office to deliver his news. He wondered if he should write to Dumbledore and ask for one, that way Dumbledore would know he wanted to communicate. 

Maybe he could summon Dobby the house-elf, Harry thought eagerly. He could send Dobby with a message. House Elves were able to Apparate in and out of Hogwarts and Dobby had been to Privet Drive before! Dobby would always be willing to help Harry. But Harry wondered idly how house-elves were summoned, and then about house-elves in general. This led him onto thinking of Kreacher… and Sirius. His heart hurt more painfully than the scar had ever done. 

"Sirius." 

Harry whispered alone in his room his eyes filling again with tears. The name was painful to even think - but to evoke it, to say it aloud - _alas_. Harry struggled to gain his composure wiping the tears from his face roughly and taking deep ragged breaths. The loss of Sirius was incomprehensible at first, denial had been so easy… but Sirius had never left him alone, would never. Harry had been hit hard when the realisation struck home, but he was struggling to stand; he knew he wasn't ready to fight, the pain in his scar told him so. But he would be ready, ready to fight. He wasn't going to give in, Sirius wouldn't have.

Sirius was a good man, and Harry smiled at the fact. It brought him small comfort. Harry had always compared his actions to what his father would have done in that situation, or what he thought his father would have done. Now, a man who had been cruel, a father who he didn't even know, tainted Harry's memories. But he had known Sirius, and Sirius was brash - yes, but he loved Harry more than anything in the world. Those who sort to blame Sirius just proved they didn't know him very well, because while Sirius put himself in danger, it was only for the one he loved. To live in Sirius's image wasn't something that Harry thought undesirable. He would survive for Sirius.

Thinking of Sirius struck Harry with an idea. 

He pulled open the floorboards under his bed to withdraw the Wizarding things he hid there. Sure enough, hidden at the bottom of the dusty hole under the floorboards were a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. Inside these socks was the mirror Sirius had given him and the broken shards of glass. He pulled the pieces out carefully and placed the mirror frame on the floor. He wondered why he hadn't thrown it out once he'd broken it. 

Fingering the pieces of mirror gently, he wondered if he could risk a simple '_reparo_' spell. It had worked on his glasses often enough. But the Ministry was a long way from welcoming Harry as their hero. He still had many enemies there including Umbridge - he shivered, hatred building up inside of him with her memory – and he was not going to risk expulsion from school again.

Harry tried to look for glue in the mess that was Dudley's second bedroom. Some of the broken toys looked at if Uncle Vernon had tried to mend them, so Harry concluded there must be some glue around here. He tried to be as quiet as possible as he shuffled around the room at the risk of waking his Aunt and Uncle. 

Dudley had apparently never been interested in repairing anything he'd broken as Harry was unsuccessful in his search for glue. Harry gingerly placed the pieces of mirror back in the square frame as if completing a puzzle. Fitting the broken shards together he looked as he saw his cracked reflection. Taking a deep gasp he watched in the torchlight as the mirror shone with a soft silver glow and the glass cracks melted back together. The glow faded and the mirror looked just as old and unmagical as it always had. He was looking into it, his face looked eerie, lit by the torchlight as if he were about to tell Muggle ghost stories. 

He lifted the mirror and held it directly in front of his face. Running his fingers slowly over his features. He noticed how old he was getting as he etched his finger gently over the dark lines under his eyes. His face was still damp and his fingers drew lines in the path of his tears. He longed to call 'Sirius' and see his Godfathers face in the mirror – but he knew that wasn't going to work. He paused for a moment and then reached his fingers up to his scar. They were cold as he pressed them against his head. Feeling forlorn and remembering why he was looking for the mirror he cleared his throat and it echoed throughout the room.

"Hello," Harry called into the mirror. The glass fogged up with his breath and he marked little holes in the mist to see his eyes.

"Hello?" he asked again beginning to feel stupid. But suddenly his eyes vanished. The reflection had gone.

"Harry?" he heard a deep-confused voice reply.

"Hello!! It's me!!" Harry called excitedly. _Could this be Sirius? _he wondered excitedly. "Is someone there?"

"Harry, where are you?" the voice whispered. It was lost and desperate. 

"Harry," the forlorn voice cried, it was shaky and frightened.

Harry recognised it, it was also full with feelings of loss he felt he had dealt with, but the feelings came crashing back down. The mirror was still empty but the familiar voice floated around Harry's bedroom.

"Professor?" he asked, and then shaking himself mentally, "Remus?"

"Harry? Where are you?" asked Remus, wondering if he was going mad.

"I am talking into the mirror that Sirius gave me," Harry replied dutifully, and he listened as he heard sounds of thumping.

"Keep talking Harry," Remus instructed. The noises were growing closer.

"Ahh," Harry began nervously, "Hi? How are you?"

"Good," Remus said, and his smiling face appeared in the mirror, "and glad I am not hearing voices!" His brown eyes looked surprisingly happy as his greying hair fell over them. 

"How are you, Harry?" Sirius' friend asked, looking out at Harry taking in every aspect of his appearance. Harry adjusted himself pulling a mask on his face and smiling at Remus.

"Okay," Harry answered. Remus' eyes clouded over his face etched in concern.

"I know Harry," Remus said dolefully, as he watched Harry look down as if interested by the dust on the floor. "I know."

Harry nodded and eventually looked up and at Remus.

"It's so good to be able to talk with someone," Harry said honestly, feeling naked in front of Remus. He could not hide his grief from someone who was also in so much pain.

Remus smiled, "I always wondered whatever happened to these old things, got us out of a lot of scrapes in our school days..."

Remus trailed off, all those memories were compounding on his chest making it difficult to breathe. He let go of the breath that he was holding.

"Of course, it's good to speak to you too, Harry," Remus said gently. 

In the silence that followed Harry felt as if a great amount were said. They had an understanding. Harry had not known Remus as much as he would have liked to. Yet he thought about the similar pains that Remus must be feeling and how they probably outshadowed his own by far. 

How it must feel to think that Remus was finally getting a friend back and then to have him rudely snatched away again. Yet Remus, did not break down in grief or swell in anger. He fought to protect Harry, to stop Harry from running after Sirius when he must of felt that he wanted to do exactly that. And here Remus was, smiling gently and trying to help him again. Harry choked up, thinking of his old school teacher and all the kindness he had shown him over the years. 

"How do you do it?" Harry asked, "How do you go on…." He trailed off as he bit back his emotions.

Remus shook his head gently and took a moment to think, "I think," he began and then trailed off, "A man like me," he started and then stopped as if trying to put his emotions into words.

"Suffering is a blessing, Harry," Remus stated, and Harry snapped up to look at the man whose emotions were spread clearly over his face.

"That's one thing I have learned through the years, through my unique difficulties." Remus' voice sounded reflective and soft. "I guess it is easy to hate the place you're in - how you got there - the people who you think did this." 

"That hate consumes you." Harry looked into the deep eyes of the older man. He could still taste the hate he felt, towards Snape, Dumbledore, Voldemort…. 

"Harry, I once hated everything with my life, but then some people loved me - Sirius, your father - these people loved you too, Harry. And that love, it was a blessing."

"Suffering is not about being weak, or in my case over powered by something else, it is about learning to rely on others, trust them, love them, know they suffer a little with you, but it's okay. Because in suffering we grew stronger, we grew together. I am always here for you Harry, you have to know that."

Harry hadn't even noticed the tears that were streaming down his own face. 

"Thankyou Remus," Harry whispered.

"You're welcome Harry." And he gave Harry a minute to compose himself.

"Now, why are you playing with mirrors at three in the morning? Has something happened? Are you okay? What was it you wanted to communicate, anyway?" Remus asked, grounded back by reality and motherly concern. He had just unknowingly stepped up to the rank; of course, he had always been there, but not like now. Not like Sirius, and he never would be, not ever.

"I wanted to get a message to Dumbledore," Harry said feeling a little silly. "My scar has been hurting."

Remus' mouth tightened and his brows pinched, "This is serious Harry."

"I know," Harry said, "I didn't even notice at first but now the pains have come more often. Tonight it woke me up. Is everyone safe?"

"Everyone's fine Harry." Harry suddenly got anxious and realised how much he actually wanted to say.

"Where are you? What happened to the Order? How are the Weasleys? Hermione? Percy? What's Voldemort doing? Does anyone know? What about Lucius Malfoy and the others? Are they locked up?" 

Remus listened carefully and tried to give Harry all the answers. Knowing that Harry was best treated as an adult, openly and honestly. He nodded as Harry shot him with questions.

"Harry, Harry," Remus said calmly, "I'm still at the Black House, the Order is still here. The Dementors have left Azkaban but the Death Eaters from the Ministry are still locked up. The Weasleys are all fine; I think they are trying to work it out with Percy. They are back at the Burrow temporarily as Charlie has been in to visit. He has a great deal of support from the European Wizards; he's a good chap. Hermione is staying with her family and Dumbledore and Flitwick charmed her house so it's safer this year. We have been out of touch with Voldemort as Snape has had difficulties convincing his loyalties. All we know is that he has moved base and is in temporary hiding with Bellatrix." Remus stopped a moment to wipe his mouth clean of the name.

"They are probably working out how to set captured Death Eaters free. The Ministry is still holding Lucius and that lot but now that the news is out other Dark sympathisers will be trying to get in contact with Voldemort. We think he is at the Malfoy Manor, but Narcissa is holding everyone at bay."

Harry wasn't satisfied, "What about Kreacher? Isn't the Order at risk? Why are you still at the Black House?"

Lupin shook his head sadly, "Kreacher is dead, you know what a House Elf has to do when they betray their master. And Kreacher took it to punish himself - he committed suicide. We found him beheaded, hugging a photo of Sirius' mother. The Order is still safe here as Sirius left the House and its possessions to me. We aren't sure about Snape though, and if his real confidences have been betrayed."

Harry scowled in an unwittingly Snape like manner. He couldn't care less about Snape and his troubles. Although it would probably have a huge impact on the information, it must be why they don't know anything about Voldemort's whereabouts. Harry gritted his teeth and tried to repress the anger. Harry hesitated for a moment.

"When can I come?" he asked, "I hate being stuck here." The Black House wasn't home, it was dark, dusty and the family portraits were rude and frightening. But Harry had worked to clean it, and Sirius had lived there. They had shared Christmas there together. Even though it was nasty, he felt as if a piece of himself and a piece of Sirius would always be dwelling there. 

Remus looked uncertain, "I'm not sure Harry, it's not safe for you here. The Weasleys are coming back this weekend so maybe once they're here Ron will start his protesting for you. Now that the Ministry has left Hogwarts it is more of a safe haven again; we could move some operations there. You might be able to return early. No promises. I'll ask Dumbledore when I tell him about your scar."

Harry nodded, "Okay." It was fair enough; he was upset, but he hadn't expected Remus to whisk him out of Privet Drive.

Remus grinned at him, "I'll keep this close by Harry, so you can always call on me, and when Ron and the others come you can talk with them too."

Harry gave a genuine smile, he felt more relaxed than he had all summer. Suffering had been a huge part of his life but he wasn't going to let it consume him, he was going to stand, and prepare to fight. He had to, it had been prophesied. 

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Review Suggestions

"Remus is our champion but noone will replace Sirius."

"A tad depressing."

"Great start"


	2. Chapter Two

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Chapter Two

The next day Harry felt less alone. Remus cared about him, his friends cared about him, Mrs Weasley cared about him. After talking with Remus, he no longer felt isolated even though he was stuck at Privet Drive. He got dressed quickly, having slept in, and hurried down to the kitchen.

"Morning," he idly acknowledged the other inhabitants of Privet Drive. He was greeted with a deathly silence. Uncle Vernon sat on one side of the breakfast table his face quickly turning a bulging purple, Aunt Petunia was absentmindedly filling her teacup so much that the tea spilled over onto the saucer and Dudley stopped eating long enough to open his mouth, revealing the crushed contents of his breakfast, to gape at Harry.

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Right, Harry thought, _still at Privet Drive and I was in such a better mood this morning._

Harry ignored the confusion of his relatives and sat to eat at the breakfast table. No doubt, it was the first peep they had heard from him all summer. The Dursleys were confused of what to make of Harry this year and had asked him to do no chores, ignored his bouts of tears and wails, even stopped yelling at him. He was treated with a hostile indifference. It wasn't long before the freeze-frame ended and the loud eating noises of the table began again. Aunt Petunia was tutting as she rinsed her saucer and continued to potter around the kitchen ignoring everyone at the table. Wiping down spotless benchtops and straightening perfectly aligned objects.

The television was off and Dudley was staring out the window as he ate his breakfast. Uncle Vernon however was eyeing Harry nervously and casting Petunia angry looks. Harry defiantly noticed something different, something unnerving and aside from the chomping of Dudley's breakfast something silent. The lack of conversation was highly unusual and tension in the air was palatable. Come to think of it, there had been tension all summer. Harry had been too caught up in his own state of affairs to notice before now but something was different at number 4 Privet Drive.

Not wanting to stay in the kitchen a moment longer then he had too he shoved the rest of his toast in his mouth and jumped up to go for a walk. Strolling along the streets of Little Whining helped relieve some of the tension he had built over the past week and it gave him time to think about the Dursleys. Something was definitely up. It seemed as if his Aunt and Uncle were at war over something, and Harry didn't have to think to long to work out what it was. Him!

Harry lived at Privet Drive for one reason only. Protection, his mothers sacrifice had evoked an old blood magic bond that protected Harry in his relatives care. And Aunt Petunia knew this, she had unwittingly taken an oath when she brought Harry into her home. Uncle Vernon had always longed to kick Harry out and after being threatened by Mad Eye Moody, a scary chap, Harry could _almost_ sympathise with him.

After his walk Harry started his school work, he had neglected everything so far this summer and doing school work seemed like a good way to ease his mind back into a sense of routine. Previously he wouldn't have dared opening Wizarding textbooks during the day but as the Dursleys didn't threaten Harry anymore and as long as he was sitting quietly upstairs doing his homework he wasn't annoying them. 

After settling on doing a difficult essay on charms Hedwig flew in with his copy of the Daily Prophet. Harry shuffled through it quickly scanning the headlines. Once again there was no news. But Harry noticed something else, a flashing advertisement on the second page from Flourish and Blotts. In lieu of the war they were offering a discount on Defence Against the Dark Arts textbooks. Harry stroked Hedwig thoughtfully. Hermione had once owl ordered him a broomstick servicing kit and he wondered if he could owl order some books. He looked at the titles carefully. He wasn't going to order anything by Gilderoy Lockhart! 

Harry was contemplating studying some extra defense, even though he knew full well that homework doesn't always distract a person. It seemed like a rather Hermione thing to do, especially since he couldn't actually practice the spells, but because of their lack of defence lessons last year, Harry thought it would be a great way to catch up. He needed to start doing something, and if he was going to continue with DA (Dumbledore's Army) next year then he would have to start learning some new defense spells.

He grinned as he wrote to the bookshop owner with his list of books. Maybe he could ask Remus for further instruction using the mirror. The day passed by quickly and the evening meal was even more painfully silent than the breakfast one. Dudley spoke after dessert saying he was going to go and hang out with Piers. His parents had both nodded, not even questioning why Dudley would want to hang out after 8 at night. Harry felt a twang of pity for them - the happy family, by Dursleys standards, was merely a shadow.

Harry tried to ignore the Dursleys as much as they ignored him over the next couple of days, and set about doing his homework and studying Defence. His books had arrived early the morning after he had sent the Owl Order and Harry threw himself into his study - learning the incantations for shielding charms and longing to practice them. He also learnt a new lot of curses and counter-curses, waving his empty hand to practice wand movements. Remus was particularly helpful talking him through some of the areas Harry hadn't understood and happy for Harry's progress and distraction.

After a particularly difficult study session, Harry strolled around the streets muttering the incantations of various curses. He rounded a street corner that led to the park and could see Dudley and his gang sitting on the park benches smoking and leering at a younger boy who stood nearby. The boy was short and gangly and the boys drew around him like hunting pack animals. The boy Harry recognised as Mark Evens a local kid who had red hair and freckles. The red hair shone like a beacon as the boy was pushed roughly to the ground. The boys started to kick and hit Mark as Harry stood anxiously at the corner. Harry couldn't help but conjure memories of the Weasley family as he watched the young boys head fly back and forth his red hair falling over his face as it was shoved in the dirt - he couldn't help but intervene.

"Stop it!" called Harry running over.

The boys stopped and looked up at Harry. Dudley took an uncertain step back and the others sneered menacingly.

"Well, if it isn't the freak," sneered Piers. 

"What are you doing here, Freak!" urged Marcus.

"Leave the boy alone," Harry said ignoring their leers and helping Mark to his feet. Mark looked at Harry like a frighted rabbit and didn't even thank him as he scampered.

"What do you think, Pee Duddy?" asked Piers, "don't you think it's time we show your cousin a lesson?"

The group closed in on him and Harry felt a surge of panic. His wand was of course strapped to his arm but he couldn't draw it here even if seven fierce Muggles threatened him.

"Leave him alone," said Dudley.

One of the boys pushed Harry to the ground.

"Leave him alone," said Dudley more forcefully.

"Why?" whinged Piers, "He's a freak!"

"He'd tell my mum," said Dudley, trying to think of an excuse but the other boys were already jostling Harry.

"It'd be worth it," leered Piers his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What do you think you boys are doing there?" called an elderly voice and a fiery woman came jostling through the park. Harry was relieved to see Arabella Figg, his neighbour, bustle up to join the group. In tow, of course, was one of her cat familiars. The cat bounded through the group of boys to sit near Harry and take possessive swipes at the other boys' shoes.

"Nothing," said one boy quickly as the boys stepped back from Harry.

"Just playing," sneered Piers.

"Wipe that smile from your face Piers, I changed your nappies and bedsheets while you were still wetting the bed young man and know when you are up to no good. Now, hurry home before I call your mother," threatened Mrs Figg. Piers looking suitably abashed and scolded, nodded as he scampered off. The other boys went with him laughing and jostling him as he left. Soon it was only Arabella, Dudley and Harry remaining.

Arabella shook her head and muttered something about young boys and her cats as she eyed the pair cautiously.

"You okay?" she inquired.

"Yeah," Harry muttered, standing and brushing the dirt off his clothes. Feeling satisfied she nodded and wandered off again with her cat trailing behind her like a duckling.

Harry looked over at Dudley as they both walked back towards the house. The walk felt eerily familiar for both boys. Harry felt a pinch of gratitude for Dudley and he walked a step behind as he watched his cousin walk with strong shoulders and arms failing at his sides. He wondered why Dudley would stick up for him, Dudley who bullied him since he moved in to Privet Drive, Dudley who had gotten everything he ever wanted, Dudley who blamed him for the dementor attack.

"Pee Duddy?" Harry asked.

"Shut it!" Dudley said, his face contorted into a grumpy frown.

"I umm.. just wanted to say thanks," Harry continued.

Dudley stopped walking and looked at Harry incredulously. The boys stared silently at one another for a moment.

"We're even," Dudley said as he resumed his slow pace and turned from Harry toward home.

Harry wanted to point out that a beating from Piers was hardly even compared to saving him from a soul sucking Dementor. Not to mention all the other terrible things that Dudley had done to him in his youth. But the fact that Dudley had admitted Harry was trying to help him left Harry perplexed so he just nodded.

"Even," he said quietly. It was hardly an earth shattering revelation, but Harry felt an odd twinge as he hurried to catch up with his cousin.

"Mum told us," Dudley said again as the boys walked.

"Told you?" Harry asked.

"About Voldiewhatsy," Dudley said.

"Voldemort," Harry nodded, this explained a lot of the tension in the Dursley household.

"Did your friend die?" Dudley asked, stopping again and Harry stopped in step behind him. Dudley turned and asked again, "Is that why you've been crying?"

Harry always hated Dudley and his bullying and cruel nature, but he suddenly realised that Dudley's tough act and the boy that stood in front of him were very different. For all of Dudley's jokes, the boy was very far from any reality. Dudley had no idea about war or death; these were just distant thoughts to him when he was playing his role as the neighbourhood king. He knew nothing of real pain and torment.

"Yes," Harry answered quietly, looking down at the pavement, "My Godfather too."

Dudley's face remained expressionless and he shifted his weight nervously.

The boys continued on their walk home in silence. When they got home Harry retreated to his bedroom again to read more defence books. He continued in this regime of study, walks and eating to try and pass the time. He was, however, looking forward to this weekend.

Harry was excited when the weekend finally arrived because that meant one thing, Ron would be at the Black House. 

"Harry," he heard Ron call out that Saturday and Harry grabbed the mirror desperately.

"Ron!" Harry exclaimed, relieved to see the familiar face. For a moment the two boys just looked at each other and grinned.

"What's happening?" Harry asked. 

"Not much, the family has moved back in here as mum wants to keep Remus company, plus it's a lot safer here. I haven't been able to speak to Hermione all summer, as the wards at her house don't let any magical interference and owls aren't safe. Pig has been driving me nuts," Ron continued and at the mention of the bird Harry saw Pig swoop in the background. "But how are you, mate? The Muggles treating you alright?"

"Yeah," Harry answered quickly, still wanting more news on the Wizarding state of affairs.

"I spoke to Dumbledore, he wants to move you back to Hogwarts - but they are going to wait another week until they can get some operatives to escort you," Ron said eagerly. "I'll see if I can come to Hogwarts early too, if you like, but I think Dumbledore wants you there so you guys can do some Occlumency training."

Harry grinned and Ron grinned back. 

"Fred and George have started their joke shop," Ron said, "the business is booming in Diagon Alley. Mum wanted it to be just owl order because she's worried when they leave the house, but she doesn't want to argue with them, she's worried they'd leave like Percy. Percy's still being a huge git by the way. So it's just me and Ginny here which is a bit boring and it's especially eerie here without Sirius."

Ron quickly backed up, worried he had said the wrong thing and 'ummed' and 'ahhed' desperately trying to change the subject as he noticed Harry's face pale.

"It's okay Ron," Harry sighed and the Weasley looked relieved. Harry wasn't used to talking about his feelings and Ron was definitely not comfortable with this conversation. So they just ignored it.

"Look Harry, Mate," Ron said nervously, "I have to go and help mum set up for lunch. I'll talk to you tomorrow yeah?"

Harry felt guilty about making Ron uncomfortable and tried to fight his gloomy expression but Ron's denial only made him feel worse.

"Yeah, tomorrow," Harry answered. Ron nodded and gave Harry a sort of encouraging smile before he vanished from the mirror. Harry once again felt worse than before he had started and he had been looking forward to talking to Ron all week! He wondered just how difficult it was going to be talking with everyone again and if he would continue to fall into a mess every time someone mentioned Sirius. He sighed awkwardly and fell onto his bed drifting into an uneasy sleep.

Harry had slept in again and when he woke the Dursley house was empty except for Dudley who sat watching television in the kitchen. He watched Harry nervously as Harry made himself breakfast and slouched at the table looking as if he hadn't slept his face and posture completely melancholy. He found he didn't care remotely where his Aunt and Uncle were and ignored his cousin as he mechanically forced himself to eat.

Dudley continued to watch Harry.

"You missed dinner last night," Dudley accused as he watched Harry nibble at his toast.

"I was tired," Harry answered and continued to pick at his food.

"Well, you don't look like you have slept at all," Dudley remarked, eyeing Harry.

Harry just grunted.

Dudley looked as if he had mixed feelings about talking to Harry and fidgeted in his seat. "Will they, you know, attack us?" Dudley asked out of the blue.

Harry shrugged and Dudley drew himself up nervously.

"I'd like to see them try," he muttered as he balled his fists.

Harry looked at him cautiously. 

"Dudley," Harry asked suddenly, "could you, um, teach me how to punch a little?"

Dudley looked at Harry as if he had grown an extra head and then looked around the room as if concerned that someone was watching them.

"I thought you couldn't fight them using fists," Dudley asked.

"Not Dementors no," Harry agreed, "I just think it could be helpful that's all."

Dudley paused, thinking for a moment, and then looked around again for his parents. "I suppose," he muttered.

And that was how the two of them ended up in the backyard covered in sweat and taking rough air punches.

"No Harry," Dudley condescended once again. "Bend your knees and then lift up with the punch, it will take them clean off their feet."

Harry tried the punch again and Dudley smiled, "Much better."

Dudley had taught Harry a whole lot of boxing moves, hooks, southport, uppercuts and combinations and it made Harry feel at rest. The physical work felt good too and Harry wondered if he was going to be able to play Quidditch again this year now Dumbledore was back. It was only as dusk drew on that the boys realised how long they had been outside. They had even skipped lunch.

The house was still quiet and Harry looked at Dudley to see if he was concerned but the boy was already bounding up the stairs to the shower. Harry poured himself a long drink of water and rushed to change too before his Aunt came back and told him how filthy he was.

But Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't come back. Harry and Dudley sat nervously in the kitchen eating leftovers from the fridge. The TV was playing in the background but even Dudley wasn't watching it.

"Do you know where they went?" Harry finally asked. 

"They said they would be back this afternoon," Dudley said nervously as he looked at the dark sky outside. It was already 7:30pm. Harry fidgeted with his food and looked over at Dudley.

Dudley looked worried too. Where were the Dursleys?

****

Review Suggestions

"I hope that the Dursleys get their comeuppance. Are they slaughtered?"

"Reviewer number one sounds awfully brutal I hope that the Dursleys are okay."

"Harry and Dudley working together? Very strange indeed."

"You are the best!"


	3. Chapter Three

****

Chapter Three

Harry and Dudley both sat in the kitchen casting each other nervous looks. Petunia and Vernon Dursley had left the house early that morning before Harry had woken. They had said they would be back at Midday but it was now 7:30 at night and they had not yet returned. Harry started to panic his breath quickening giving him the hiccups.

"Where did they *gasp* say they were going?" Harry demanded of Dudley.

Dudley looked at Harry and shrugged. Dudley was confused as to why Harry was so worked up and watched Harry tentatively. Harry paced up and down the kitchen trying to control his hiccups. Harry had several reasons to be worried, he was one of Voldemort's prime targets, the Dursley's knew nothing of magic, he feared that Death Eaters had attacked the Dursleys. Harry was never fond of his family but he never wished them and harm. He began panicking again, more deaths he was responsible for!

"And they said they would be back at around lunchtime?" Harry pressed and Dudley nodded again getting nervous by Harry's dramatic panic.

"Great," Harry sighed sarcastically exasperated, "just great!"

When he sat down he looked on the verge of tears and Dudley who had been witnessing Harry's mood swings all summer eyed him warily.

"It'll be okay," Dudley said and Harry shot him a dark look.

"It won't" said Harry feeling his temper getting the better of him, "I thought you said your mother had told you."

"She did," muttered Dudley quietly, "but they can't attack us can they?"

"YOU IDIOT!" Yelled Harry, "HAVE YOU NOT LEARNED ANYTHING FROM LAST SUMMER, THEY WANT ME DEAD, AND MUGGLES DEAD!"

"Muggles?" asked Dudley, the bully's face lit with fear.

Harry hesitantly calmed at the sight of Dudley's anxiety, "Non-magic people Dudley, that's what Voldemort wants, control over the Wizarding World, and to purge it of all those he deems unworthy." Harry started his desperate pacing again while Dudley sat shivering on his seat. "And Muggles," Harry began spitefully, "they're the bottom of the barrel, he doesn't care about your parents, in fact he would enjoy killing them."

Dudley's lip quivered, "we don't know that! We don't know they're dead!"

Harry felt bad when he looked at his cousin, especially after they had called a truce just yesterday and Dudley had been helping Harry all day with his punches. Harry was just sick of being responsible for everyone else. Remus wanted him to reach out to others in times of suffering, but Harry only put them in further danger.

"You're right," said Harry plunking down on the seat finally exhausting his temper, "I'm sorry Dudley, we don't know anything. They could be anywhere." Harry's monotone sounded pessimistic but resigned.

Dudley sniffled and looked a little better. The minutes past like hours in the kitchen that night. The clock ticked loudly and every so often one of the boys would sigh. The clock seemed to tick louder and louder as it ticked into the night. 8pm. 8:10pm. 8:20pm. 8:30pm. 8:40pm. 8:50pm. 9pm.

"That Voldiething," Dudley said breaking the long silence.

"Voldemort," Harry corrected.

"Yeah him," Dudley said, "all this blood business, he's a bit crazy, right."

Harry couldn't help but laugh - breaking the tight tension in the room. The irony of Dudley calling anyone else prejudiced seemed very funny at this point in time. And Harry's eyes started to water as he laughed maniacally. Dudley uncertainly at first joined in and started laughing too. Soon both boys were in hysterics.

"Yeah Dud," Harry yowled clutching his side with laughter, "He's a right nutter!"

**CRACK** 

Harry drew his wand in a flash as the two boys jumped together. Dudley and Harry stood armed back to back in the kitchen, Dudley with his fists raised and Harry wand drawn. The loud sound emanated from the living room and it reminded Harry of the Apparating crack.

Before the boys had the chance to fight or flight they heard the familiar grunt of Vernon Dursley. The boys scampered into the living room to see Vernon and Petunia standing there holding a bright red gumboot. Vernon dropped it quickly and shot Harry a glare of the deepest loathing before storming up the stairs and slamming the bedroom door shut. All eyes followed his stomping and everyone winced at the sound of the door slam. It took them a moment to recover before…..

"Mum!" Dudley called, "we were so worried."

Aunt Petunia looked close to tears and Dudley ran and hugged his mother in an unusual display of affection. Harry backed up nervously breathing a deep sigh of relief.

"Aunt Petunia," he asked, looking between her and the gumboot, "are you okay?"

"Yes," she nodded primly, "everything is fine. We just had a meeting with your Headmaster is all, and Vernon, well, he is a tad upset." Petunia's tone was odd and gentle as she composed herself and flattened down the front of her dress. Harry knew the uncomfortable lurch of a portkey only too well. She walked into the kitchen dropping the red gumboot in the bin as she went and began pulling out pots and pans. The boys followed her like lost lambs.

"I suppose you two haven't eaten well," she tutted her long neck peering into the cupboards and pulling forth a variety of ingredients to feed a Weasley sized family.

Dudley sat down at his seat on the table preparing himself for another meal. Harry curious of why the Dursleys had been meeting with Dumbledore sat down next to Dudley. His Aunt was bustling about nervously her behaviour erratic and nervous. It didn't seem like a good time to start bombarding her with questions instead Harry and Dudley just watched her begin cooking. 

She started brutalizing the carrots, chopping them forcefully, all the while mumbling under her breath, "all this magic nonsense…….trouble for the whole Evans family……not a good one among them……the hide…..and they were calling us bad blood."

She turned quickly and started the gas stove throwing the roughly cut vegetables into the boiling water still muttering under her breath, "Prophecies? Sounds like a load of mumbo jumbo too me……..safer here than anywhere else? I don't think so, not if Vernon catches him first…….ungrateful……nobody cared this much about me……Lily this….Lily that…….ungrateful……after all I sacrificed."

She suddenly twirled pointing a sharp knife at the pair, "Steak or chicken boys?"

Harry shrugged and Dudley spoke timidly, "Steak?"

Petunia spun again ignoring the pair while she continued to cook in this aggressive manner. The kitchen soon smelled of a homely cooking scent and the odd group relaxed visibly breathing in the smells of well cooked food and Petunia laid out a small feast. They ate dutifully until Harry felt safe enough to ask a question, he addressed his Aunt who was eating her carrots neatly.

"Why did you go to see Dumbledore?" 

Petunia looked up at him suddenly, "Vernon wanted to ask….that is we, um…no matter Harry, I dare say you'll be glad to be rid of us come next weekend, Albus is moving you back to Hogwarts."

__

Albus? Harry thought, _since when have they been on a first name basis?_

Petunia put down her fork suddenly and looked over at her nephew and studied him as if she was observing him for the first time. Her face softened as she tilted her head to get a clearer view of her nephew. Harry had grown and filled out over the last year and was beginning to look older. Harry met her glare evenly his green eyes soft and questioning.

"My, you look like Lily," Petunia sighed more to herself than anyone.

"Everyone always says I look like my father," replied Harry softly. Dudley managed to eat his food without a sound watching the exchange carefully.

"Oh course, they'd say that," Petunia lifted her fork breaking her soft gaze to wave it severely at Harry, "they never wanted to know our Lily, no, they had no respect for 'mudbloods.' Changed her they did, made her feel unworthy." 

Petunia shook her head sadly, "and dad," she continued, "he was so proud to have a witch in the family, after all our father, your grandfather, was a squib you see. It was so difficult for him having come from a pureblood magical family, they disowned him, poor man, of course he married mum and they were so happy, she was as Muggle as they come your grandmother, and so accepting of dad's weird family. That is, until Lily. Watching her grow her magic and lose her self esteem was tearing the family apart. Especially with that Voldemort about, he killed your Great-Grandparents and Grandparents as well you know Harry," she said casting Harry a hesitant glare.

Petunia pushed her food about the plate nervously as Harry tried to process all this information, his mums family had been magical too.

When Petunia looked up her eyes were misty, "We tried, I tried, once mum was killed, but Lily always the fighter, didn't want to just be normal like the rest of us, and look where it ended her. Got herself blown up."

Harry's brain was a rush of activity, his great grandparents, grandparents and parents, all killed by Voldemort, _three times defied. _Harry bit his lip cautiously to stop himself from crying the undigested food lodging in his throat. He felt very ill.

Petunia started cutting her vegetables again and continuing talking to herself, "Of course, you had to be one of them, I would have never allowed it. And your Uncle Vernon, noone cares about the sacrifices he had to make, bringing up a freakish child who never seemed to understand the importance of being normal. How he tried to stop it, to protect you, but there was never a word of thanks, never any praise, and times like these have started again, now we're all in danger."

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat and begun to feel guilty. But he soon shook it as he remembered all the nasty things that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had said to him. Harry had never heard anything about his family, except that one time when Hagrid came to collect Harry, not one word about why he was different, not one word about magic.

"You can't blame me, you can't blame magic!" Harry almost shouted. "I can't change who I am," gritted Harry staring up at Petunia his eyes flashing.

Petunia sighed resignedly ignoring his outburst and shaking her head woefully, "you're so much like Lily." With that said she got up leaving her plate still half full of food and left the room.

"Goodnight boys," she called from the stairs as she walked up into the master bedroom.

Harry's anger ebbed as he sat staring into space thinking of everything his Aunt had told him. He thought about Voldemort, about what it meant to be magical, his family, prejudice, his mum. It was all very confusing. He didn't even notice Dudley as he left upstairs for bed, he just sat quietly in the kitchen his brain processing all the information. It was a late hour when Harry finally left the kitchen table for bed.

******

"Harry."

"Harry."

Someone was calling his name and Harry rolled over tiredly.

"Yes?" he answered dumbly.

"Wake up you lazy head!" the voice commanded, and it took Harry a while to realise it was coming from his mirror. He picked it up and was greeted with the grinning face of Nymphadora Tonks. Her heart shaped face and dark eyes shone brightly as she smiled an impish grin.

"I knew you were just being a lazy sod," she girdled tossing her brightly purple coloured head in every direction as if trying to appraise Harry from each angle.

"What?" Harry asked finally waking up.

"Ron," Tonks explained. Harry felt as though she was having a different conversation to the one he was having. After the last couple of draining weeks nothing was making much sense, especially after the conversation with Petunia last night.

"He was worried because you and he were supposed to talk yesterday," Tonks continued cheerfully and Harry finally caught up remembering how he had promised to talk to Ron and how their last conversation had ended badly. 

"Of course, I told him you were probably just being a lazy sod. And of course, I was right. No need to panic, everything's okay. He thought you'd gone and done something stupid, but I said, 'not our Harry' and here you are right as rain." She smiled at him and quickly changed her hair so it grew, turned dark brown and stuck out every which way.

It looked like Harry's and he laughed. "That's quite some bed head," she explained.

"I'm sorry," said Harry trying to fix his hair and straighten his bedshirt sitting up properly. "I was just so busy yesterday, my Aunt and Uncle they left," Harry tried to explain and Tonks' hair shrunk back down fearfully. 

"Gone?" she asked.

"They're home now," Harry added quickly, "we just didn't know where they had got too. That's all." 

"Oh good," Tonks grinned and her hair stuck out crazily, "I'm afraid Ron's not here today though, he had to go into the Ministry with his father, but he wanted me to check up on you."

"Thanks Tonks," Harry said, feeling cared about and not like a child. "I don't want anyone to worry."

"No trouble Harry," she grinned, "but there is someone else here that would like to talk to you."

And soon the face of the Auror Mad Eye Moody shone into the mirror. He was examining the mirror and Harry carefully. His magical eye turned in his head looking up and down around the mirror.

"Good mirrors these," he grunted, "show the reflection of the real person, practically unbreakable, can't be fooled, not even by Polyjuice, could have come in handy quite a few times."

Harry swallowed nervously, of course, Mad Eye was talking about his imprisonment during Harry's forth year at Hogwarts. The mirror would have reflected the young Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr. who was impersonating Mad Eye Moody for the year. But Harry thought about the other times it could have come in handy, to talk to Sirius, to save his life.

"Hi Moody," Harry said finally, trying to expel those thoughts.

"How are those Muggle's treating you?" Mad Eye growled.

"Fine," said Harry truthfully, the Dursley's were being quite nice by their standards. "But I can't wait to leave. Are you coming to get me?"

Mad Eye nodded, "We'll be there on Saturday, now, I heard you have been doing some extra Defense study, you can never drop your guard Harry, constant vigilance!"

Mad Eye continued to bark out instructions and more strategies for protection. Harry felt that Mad Eyed Moody was slightly odd and a little unnerving but as he was one of the best Aurors ever, and Harry wanted to be an Auror, so he listened very carefully to Mad Eye's instructions.

After listening to Mad Eye rant for quite some time Harry tried once again to throw himself into his routine. Eat, walk, study, sleep. It was less than a week before he was free of Privet Drive. It's inhabitants had returned to their former distance and Harry observed that Petunia and Vernon were again speaking to each other.

On Wednesday however Harry's routine was interrupted by a pompous looking tawny owl that fluttered in through his window. The owl landed atop of his Charms Essay and stuck it's leg out carefully. Hedwig watched the other owl with feigned interest and Harry quickly untied the official looking letter and looked at it anxiously while the tawny owl flew out the window.

"This is it Hedwig," he said as he slowly opened the thick parchment. His OWL results had arrived. Harry had completely forgotten about them coming as the exams seemed so long ago. He needed top NEWTS to be an Auror thus was praying for high OWLs so he could take the Advanced Classes.

__

Dear Mr. Potter,

Congratulations on passing your Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Enclosed are your results.

Professor Marchbanks

Wizarding Education Examiner

TransfigurationOutstanding  
CharmsOutstanding  
HerbologyExceeds Expectations  
Defence Against the Dark ArtsOutstanding  
PotionsExceeds Expectations  
Care of Magical CreaturesOutstanding  
History of MagicAcceptable  
AstronomyAcceptable  
DivinationAcceptable  
Total - 9 Owls

"Nine OWL's Hedwig," Harry said excitedly, as tore through the parchment, "four Outstandings!" And then his heart sank, his potions mark, 'Exceeds Expectations' he had needed an 'Outstanding' if he was going to make Snape's class. He bit his lip nervously, but remembered McGounagall's promise.

__

"I'm going to help you become an Auror if it's the last thing I do."

Maybe she could teach him Advanced Potions? Harry thought that this would be good because working with Professor Snape always had brought out the worst in Harry. He didn't have too much time to dwell on the results however because he heard Ron's voice calling through the mirror.

"Harry! Harry! I got Eight OWLs!!!!"

Harry quickly grabbed the mirror and looked at the grinning face of Ron.

"That's only three less than Percy and he was taking much more subjects than me! Can you believe it!"

"Wow! Congratulations Ron!" said Harry.

"I can't believe it," exclaimed Ron, "I only failed Astronomy, but I hear they are going to make special allowances for that exam."

"Astronomy doesn't matter anyway," said Harry comfortingly, "Did you get any Outstandings?"

"Two," answered Ron, "in Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts, and I have you to thank for that mate. Hey Harry, I wonder what Hermione got, probably all 'Outstandings' eh? So how did you go?"

Harry told Ron his marks and then they speculated about Hermione's.

"So, you haven't heard from her all summer?" asked Harry.

"Nope," said Ron looking a bit chuffed about it, "not a peep, Remus says it's for the Granger's protection."

"So what else is happening?" asked Harry.

"Not a lot that I'm involved in," answered Ron, "Mum still won't let me in any of the Order meetings, I expect Remus would tell you though, I think their waiting until you move to Hogwarts. Of course last weekend there was a meeting of some sort, top secret, I think it was with the Muggle Prime Minister, can't be too sure though."

"Whoa," exhaled Harry, "there has been nothing in the news though, Muggle or Wizard does anyone know what's going on?"

"They reckon Voldemort's just biding his time," and Ron scrunched up his face in thought.

Ron grinned, "but no news is good news right?"

"Yeah," answered Harry, with a nagging feeling twitching in his stomach, "yeah."

****

Review Suggestions

"Is there danger on the way?"

"Great OWL results, I hope McGoungall teaches Harry!"

"I bet Hermione got (insert number of OWLS here)." 


	4. Chapter Four

****

Chapter Four

Saturday couldn't come round fast enough and before Harry knew it he was packing his trunk to leave Privet Drive again. His stay this year had been short with still five weeks before school but it had been informative and a good chance for Harry to have some time to himself. Time he needed, time to grieve. It wasn't as lonely or less informative as the last summer either with Harry being able to use the two-way mirror to talk to Ron, Remus and other members of the Order without risk of Voldemort's interception.

On Saturday evening he wondered into the kitchen dragging his trunk. As per usual nobody noticed him, even after he cleared his throat with a gentle cough. The Dursley's were sitting around the table watching television and eating dinner completely absorbed. So, Harry waited patiently for an ad break.

"Umm.." he began as a cheerful jingle started, "I'm leaving tonight."

Petunia spun around her narrow appraising eyes looked at him and his trunk. She then settled her gaze on Harry and for a brief second she looked almost as if she wanted him to stay. Her beady eyes open and concerned for a small moment before returning to being winced with hate and resentment. Harry shifted his weight nervously. Dudley too had turned to look at Harry, eyeing Harry and the trunk, an unreadable expression on his face. Uncle Vernon however did not turn to look at him.

"Good." Vernon grunted as Dudley frowned turning back to watch the television. 

"I'll just sit out here then," said Harry quietly, his family were no longer listening and Harry moved toward the entrance hall. Harry sat on his trunk in the hallway outside the cupboard under the stairs and waited as the Dursleys finished dinner and went up to bed. His cousin watched Harry from the top of the stairs as Harry kept glancing to the hallway clock. Getting ready to leave Harry aware of his cousin watching him pulled out his fathers old invisibility cloak and wrapped it around his trunk securing it tightly for travel. Harry sat back down and looked as if he were suspended in midair. 

The escort group was arriving late again, so that they could fly away by the dark of night. Harry did not have his Firebolt, as it had been confiscated last year by Professor Umbridge he hoped that someone had been able to get it back. He had asked Remus to bring him a broom regardless but he longed for his Firebolt as it was the fastest racing broom around and more importantly it had been a present from Sirius.

As expected at about 10pm Harry heard a variety of "pops" and "cracks" as Wizards Apparated into the Dursley House. Dudley gasped audibly as he watched the people appear from thin air.

The group Harry recognised - Remus Lupin, Mad Eye Moody, Kingsley Shackbolt, Tonks, Arthur Weasley, Minerva McGoungall and Dumbledore himself.

Remus ran up to Harry and grabbed him in a hug which had Harry choking for breath. Arthur Weasley came up and ruffled Harry's hair (although it already looked ruffled enough) and the others greeted him with a chorus of "Hi Harry's". Mad Eye Moody appraised him with suspicion but was soon smiling, or Harry supposed that's what he was doing, his scared face looked less cracked anyway.

Dumbledore stepped forward and held out Harry's Firebolt.

"I believe this belongs to you," he said gently with his blue eyes twinkling. Harry grabbed it excitedly.

"Thanks," Harry grinned.

"Now," grunted Moody interrupting the touching moment, "we do this right and we do this proper. Flying standard formation to London and then Kingsley, Minerva and Dumbledore escort Harry on the train."

As Harry heard Mad Eye talking he felt a sigh of relief there was no way he could have flown to Scotland he remembered how cold he was last time. This time Harry wore a big cloak over his robes and his trunk was well packed and wrapped in his invisibility cloak. Dumbledore cast the group with a chameleon charm this time and they all assembled in the back yard. Dudley followed them and peered from the kitchen window. The charm made them blend into the background but not invisible so Dudley was watching Harry with awe.

The group mounted their brooms, "Ready Harry?" asked Tonks and Harry cast one last look at number 4 Privet Drive. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's light was off and the outline of Dudley's face peering from the window could still be seen. Harry waved at Dudley uncertainly and Dudley looked around behind him before smiling and giving Harry some air punches. Harry grinned.

"Yep. Ready as I'll ever be."

The group kicked off and began their journey. Harry realised he hadn't had a chance to fly in almost nine months and it felt so good. At first he was weaving about the group in excitement but calmed down shortly after. The group riding was arduous as everyone rode at different levels. Harry was surprised at Professor McGoungall's ability as she weaved up ahead of him, he knew she had always been a fan of Quidditch and wondered if she had ever played herself. Professor Dumbledore however did not seem to be a master on a broom and hung toward the back.

Half way to London Harry developed a small prickling sensation on the back of his neck. He had a strange feeling someone was following them. Harry turned to look at the others, and Kingsley was looking right at him. The gaze unnerved Harry a little as he looked at the rest of the group. They seemed to think nothing was amiss. Harry looked again at Kingsley who was casting looks behind him and then noticed Harry and nodded. Harry spun his neck to look around. Sure enough he could make out dark shapes that didn't look like clouds. 

They were being followed.

Trying to get the others attention Harry started dropping up and down slightly, and he turned and looked backward again. He could makeout three dark shapes in the background gaining in on them.

"Dive!" shouted Kingsley and the group pulled into a spectacular plummet. Using his Quiddich skills Harry pressed his body against his broom and followed the whipping of Tonk's pink hair ahead of him. The group landed on the ground messily and Harry fumbled for his wand. He stood surrounded by Minerva, Tonks, Remus, Arthur and Kingsley. They had landed in a grassy field and it hadn't taken long for the group to stand huddled together in defense formation.

Mad Eye and Dumbledore, however, were still in the sky. Harry looked up and saw flashes of yellow, red and green. He inhaled deeply the cloud cover and chameleon charms preventing the group from witnessing the action in the sky. The sparks of light looked like odd flying stars and Harry clutched his broom tightly trying to determine what was happening. He panicked as Dumbledore was not a great flyer.

After about five minutes, however, Dumbledore and Moody landed safely. 

"Death Eaters," growled Moody, "they flew away when they saw Dumbledore but can't be certain they won't be back. It's about time they showed themselves."

Harry swallowed nervously looking to the empty sky. _About time?_ It seemed that Moody was the only one pleased with the Death Eaters arrival.

"It's the first we've seen of them, he must have had some watching Harry's house. We'll have to split up. Tonks you come with me, Arthur, you and Remus fly together, Dumbledore you take Harry, Minerva and Kingsley."

The groups nodded at Moody's orders and quickly kicked off again with no time for arguments in case there were more Death Eaters. Flying more cautiously this time round meant Harry had no time for games. He was flying quickly and for the first time in his life longed to touch down on land again. He felt a surge of hatred for doing so, for his momentary fear of flying, for second doubting the gift of magic, for everything Voldemort and the Death Eaters stood for. 

He gripped his broom tightly. He would not be frightened, he would not roll over and die, if Voldemort wanted a war Harry would give him one. He gritted his teeth to brace the cold and just followed Minerva's lead, Dumbledore and Kingsley flanked by his side. With the wind chilling his hands and the effort to keep in formation the flight was much less enjoyable - but a great deal more empowering. 

The group landed safely in London without further complications and Harry hoped that the others would be all right. He remembered that they could Apparate to get out of danger and Harry prayed that he would have that skill soon to prevent putting the others at risk to be his escort. After landing in London the group continued to maneuver to avoid Muggles and being seen. They crept down alleyways and through magical transports. The others seemed to know where to go so Harry stuck close to Dumbledore who placed his hand on Harry's back as they hurried through the bendy paths. Finally they arrived at Kings Cross Station and it must have been the start of early morning because there were a few scattered people about the station dressed in work clothes even though it was still dark. Harry followed the others as they leant through the barrier onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters. 

The familiar scarlet steam train was already there and they boarded it immediately. All sitting in one of the front compartments they relaxed as the train pulled out of the station. Kingsley walked up and down the train compartments looking for stow-a-ways but was happy that there were none to be found, Dumbledore assured him that none could board the Hogwarts Express, as it was a train protected with the charms of Hogwarts. This cheered Harry as he began to feel tired.

Harry looked out the window as the Hogwarts Expressed billowed on the sun bleeding into the dawn, now out of London an orange morning lit the green grassy hills of northern England. 

"Hot Chocolate," Minerva asked conjuring a thermos, and some mugs. And the group sat down in the compartment. Kingsley transfigured his broom into a large wooden cane walking stick that had intricate designs on it and rested his hands tentatively upon it.

"Ah yes," grinned Dumbledore reaching for a mug, "nobody conjures a hot chocolate quite like you do Minerva."

Kingsley nodded and Harry reached for a mug as well. Sipping hot chocolate Harry grinned he was finally on his way home.

"I believe you got nine OWLs," said Professor McGoungall breaking the silence, "well done!"

Kingsley smiled at Harry warmly and Harry nodded at the group.

"Harry is one of our brightest students," Dumbledore explained to Kingsley.

"Not as bright as Hermione," said Harry modestly, "does anyone know how she went?" asked Harry hoping for some news on his friend.

McGoungall smiled secretively, "that's her news to share Harry."

"Does anyone know if she is okay? Her family? Can we contact her?" Harry asked.

"Hermione is fine," coaxed Dumbledore holding his mug with two hands to warm them. He looked at Harry for a moment smiling knowingly. "Harry now that I have you here I can tell you that for the next few weeks you will be resuming your Occmancy training and Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons. While you're at school, of course, you'll be able to use magic and it is important that you get these lessons right."

Harry nodded, he needed to stop the link, and he needed to train in Defense Against the Dark Arts. His future depended on it.

"Sir," he asked Dumbledore who nodded. "Can I still continue with DA?"

McGoungall chucked into her hot chocolate and Kingsley raised an eyebrow in question.

Dumbledore smiled, "of course, however this year our new Defense teacher will be starting a dueling club so you may not feel the need to continue it, of course, that is up to you."

"And who's teaching the Defense post?" Harry asked, the Defense Against the Dark Arts position was never held for more than a year, some say it was cursed.

"I am," spoke Kingsley slowly, his voice was a deep baritone that sounded rounded, intense and melodious. He had an odd accent that Harry couldn't quite place.

"Kingsley will be helping you with Defense before school starts too Harry," supplied Dumbledore who smiled at Kingsley and Harry. "And Professor Snape will be helping you with Occlumency."

"Professor Snape," spat Harry trying to check his anger. He was being treated like an adult and felt he had to act like one however he felt he had been grossly mislead, "…kicked me out. Anyway, I thought you were teaching me." He directed the question to Dumbledore under his breath casting looks at the others.

"I have spoken with Severus, and we both know it is for the best. It is paramount that the one who started the training continue it," smiled Dumbledore and Harry looked furious.

"I'll just start again~!" he argued crankily.

"You both have a lot to learn from each other," coaxed Dumbledore, "and you might find you'll get along, you are actually both quite alike."

__

I'm nothing like him, thought Harry angrily. But it was not true, Harry himself had realised last year that there were many similarities between him and Professor Snape. However his anger, blame and resentment resulting from Sirius death clouded this judgement.

"I thought you weren't trying to manipulate my life anymore?" said Harry quietly not wanting to have this conversation in front of Kingsley and McGoungall who had taken to having their own private conversation on the other side of the carriage. He was fed up with mind games and Professor Snape.

"Your life Harry has unfortunately already been manipulated," Dumbledore sighed and he reached a fatherly hand toward Harry who just jerked further back and ignored it. "I'm so sorry Harry," said Dumbledore looking every one of his years, the old man looked tired and sipped his hot chocolate slowly.

"But it would be good for you both," Dumbledore said and his mood lightened, "as you need to learn to get along Harry if you are going to work in the Order together." 

Harry snapped up, "The Order?" he asked.

Dumbledore smiled, blue eyes twinkling, "After much deliberation Harry, the Order has decided after your sixteenth birthday next week you will be invited to join the Order of the Phoenix. You will be the youngest member ever and a special exception has been made, I understand that we are to learn from our mistakes of last year and have to keep communication open and honest."

Harry nodded and the two shared a knowing look.

"Your much older than your years Harry," sighed Dumbledore, "alas." 

"In my country," cut the dark velvet voice of Kingsley, "a child's rite of passage into a manhood happens when the boy turns thirteen."

"I will be glad to have Harry join the Order," said McGoungall proudly.

Harry was slightly shell shocked with all this news. The Order of the Phoenix, what an honour! He was very excited and couldn't wait to tell Ron and Hermione. Ron and Hermione.

"What about Ron and Hermione?" asked Harry. Dumbledore's face shadowed.

"They will not be able to join the order yet," McGoungall said sadly.

Harry expected that Mrs Weasley had something to do with that and he sighed dramatically. Then again Ron and Hermione were prefects and he wasn't. But he remembered how upset he was when he didn't get to be one. 

He offered a half smile at the group and Kingsley changed the subject.

"So, what spells have you been learning Harry," he asked in his resonating voice.

Harry continued to tell the group of the spells he had memorized and the group was mildly impressed. They all launched into an animate discussion about Defense and the Dark Arts. Harry took the time to look at the awkward group. They were talking as friends, peers, equals and Harry suddenly felt a whole lot older. He didn't have much time to dwell on this as the warm resounding laugh of Kingsley warmed the whole carriage. 

Before Harry knew it he was back at Hogwarts, shuffling his feet up to the Gryffindor Tower. Professor McGoungall lead him through the familiar halls and whispered the password to the Fad Lady who had long since fallen asleep. She led him up to the familiar round bedroom and Harry smiled. He dropped his trunk, thanked the Professor and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

****

Review Suggestions

"I want to join the Order too!"

"I can't believe Snape is teaching Harry again! I hope he is not too mean."

"I predict a MM/HP pairing!"


	5. Chapter Five

****

Chapter Five

When Harry woke up there were two large eyes staring down at him.

"Dobby!" Harry cried and the elf jumped back from him, "What have I told you about staring at me while I am asleep."

"Dobby is not staring at Harry Potter, sir. Harry Potter is telling Dobby not to poke him, sir." Dobby said quickly, "but Dobby was not trying to poke Harry Potter, Dobby is seeing if Harry Potter is awake so that Dobby can ask if Harry Potter if he wants Dobby to make him breakfast."

Dobby twitched nervously at the side of the bed wearing bright mix-matched socks, an orange jumpsuit and two oven mitts on his ears, he looked as if he was frightened he would be scolded.

"Sure Dobby," Harry agreed realising he would never understand the little house elf, "what time is it?" Harry asked sitting up rubbing his eyes and feeling completely refreshed. The Gryffindor room was lit warmly by the morning sun and Harry stretched.

"It is being 10am on Monday sir, Harry Potter is been sleeping for a long time, and is missing breakfast, Dobby is hoping to bring breakfast to Harry Potter."

"Monday?" Harry asked. And Dobby nodded eagerly as he snapped his fingers and a tray of breakfast appeared. They must have arrived at about lunchtime yesterday Harry reasoned but to sleep until ten. He chuckled, as he tucked into his kippers, suddenly feeling starving as he realised he hadn't eaten since Saturday. Thank goodness for Dobby. It felt so good to be home.

*****

Most of the teachers had left for the holidays to spend time with their families. This meant that the halls were a lot quieter than usual. The only people who were staying at the castle were Dumbledore, McGoungall, Snape, Hagrid, Firenze and occasionally Kingsley. Harry had yet to run into Snape who had not attended any of the meals, this he was thankful for. 

Kingsley was busying moving in and setting up the curriculum for the new Defense classes spending time both in and outside of the castle. Firenze, who had been exiled from the Forbidden Forest for siding with humans on the war against Voldemort spent a lot of time to himself stargazing, but when he was at meals he was subdued unless he was discussing Magical Creatures with Hagrid. Dumbledore and McGoungall were always there to talk to Harry and share jokes in a relaxed way Harry would have never expected of his teachers. Especially strict McGoungall, who it seemed, had a wicked sense of humour. Harry enjoyed watching her and Dumbledore quip like Ron and Hermione would.

Harry's stay at Hogwarts was not as lonely as Harry thought it might be with only his teachers for company. Harry was still able to communicate with Ron, Remus, Ginny and the others at 12 Grimmauld Place. He enjoyed hearing about the twins new exploits and business success, and how Ginny was a new Gryffindor prefect. In other good news, it seemed that the only appearance of Death Eaters all summer was on the night of Harry's escape from 4 Privet Drive, and even then some suspected that these men were acting outside of Voldemort's orders.

Hagrid who Harry went first to see eagerly, wanting to see his old friend after he had been on the run when Umbridge had tried to arrest him, had taken to the task of nursing his brother Grawp who was upset when Hagrid left. Harry was happy to notice Hagrid had far less scratches and bruises when they met for evening meals than last year but nevertheless Harry tried to avoid the giant Grawp as often as possible. Hagrid still had some time to have tea with Harry and nurse poor Fang, Hagrid's boarhound, back to health. Hagrid beamed when Harry told him how he had done on his Care of Magical Creatures OWL.

Harry was glad to see Hogwarts restored to its old familiarity and often walked the grounds, always making a detour passed Fred and George's memorial section of hallway swamp. The one person he hadn't run into however was the scowling Potions Master. This came as an immense relief as Harry detested all contact with Snape yet with the occasional twinge in his scar Harry was a bit nervous. Harry had only been back three days before Dumbledore instructed that the lessons must resume. Ordered to meet Snape at 11am everyday Harry went down to the dungeons early, not wanting to be late, scrapping his feet every step of the way.

Snape's office was open and the Potions Master stood behind a cauldron sprinkling ashes gracefully into a potion on a low flame. The potion boiled tenderly when the ashes fell over the flames causing the potion to fizz green. Snape's deep low voice whispered softly, coaxing the potion gently as he stirred. The potion calmed changing colours from a dark green to a deep shiny black. The preciseness of Snape's actions seemed uncharacteristically delicate, and Harry never having watched Snape brew closely before, scowled instantly finding it annoying.

He had no hesitation entering without knocking and announcing his arrival, "Hem, hem."

[Does it remind you of anyone? Harry you ungrateful little chit! Sorry, Snape fan in the room] 

Snape just lifted his head easily and sneered at Harry, "back for round two are we Potter?"

"Sir," Harry said tersely through gritted teeth. 

"_Legilimens_!" Snape shouted and Harry had no time to build any defense, he was completely unprepared, hit by the familiar rushing sensation as images flashed before his eyes and Snape's office quickly disappeared from view.

Harry fell to the ground, it had been to long since his last practice, Harry struggled to build a resistance but Snape was delving further in, as flashes of Harry's memories became clearer and recognisable. 

Harry getting bullied by Dudley's gang……Harry talking to the snake in the zoo…..Sirius falling through the veil…….Harry hearing his mothers voice while falling from his broom at Quidditch……..biting his lip in pain while he was writing lines for Umbridge……..Cedric lying lifeless beside him…….the corridor to the Department of Mysteries……..Harry trying to reach Sirius with the mirror……flashes of Sirius…..the arch……Sirius………

Snape lifted the curse and Harry lay shaking on the cold stone floor.

"Get up," spat Snape his form stiff and face unreadable.

Harry made no motion to move, not bothering to hide the hot tears that were streaming down his angry face.

"GET UP POTTER!" Snape yelled and Harry glared at him menacingly his eyes shining battle green through the tears. He wiped his face on the side of his robe in one rough action as he set himself to face Snape with steely nerves he usually reserved for battles with Voldemort. But that who he was fighting, Voldemort, his Death Eaters, Snape. He had to be able to protect his mind.

"Hit me again," Harry dared Snape. The hatred flowing from the boy was palatable.

Snape ignored him, "You have made no effort to practice. Don't return until you can empty your mind. Get out," he said softly turning from Harry and returning to his potion.

"I said," growled Harry stomping forward defiantly to stand in front of Snape, "hit me again."

"I have not got a hearing problem Potter," said Snape sarcastically. He glared at Harry with severe loathing, "You still wear your emotions on your sleeve Potter, and you're hardly in any position to order me around. You're easy prey Potter, your anger only makes it simpler."

"HIT ME AGAIN!" yelled Harry, as he pushed Snape's hands away from his potion, what would that man know about controlling his anger.

Snape did what Harry asked, he grinned evilly at Harry as he hit him with the curse. Harry fell like a ton of bricks as Snape flew again through his memories unbidden. Harry had no defense and started to twitch painfully on the floor. Snape lifted the curse again and sneered down at Harry's crumpled form. Harry looked angrily into Snape's black robes that swept in front of his face as he tried to push himself up from the ground.

"No improvement, get out," Snape threatened dangerously, kicking his robes in Harry's face as he walked over to the other side of his cauldron. "I have no desire to repeat the stupid look on your Godfathers arrogant face as he meets death."

Harry was on his feet with the same raging anger as before, "HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT SIRIUS!" he yelled.

Snape continued to provoke him, "It seems he finally got to make himself useful, he death was a favour for everyone."

Harry's eyes widened in anger and he pushed Snape's potion to the floor and he dived at the man arms flying. 

"HOW DARE YOU!" Harry shouted as he raised his fists and punched Snape roughly.

Snape fell back over his desk, shocked at Harry's strength, punching with Dudley had toughened him up. Harry dived onto Snape punching awkwardly because he was full of hot anger. After a small violent struggle Snape managed to banish Harry to the other side of the room. Harry flew backwards and landed in an angry heap, his face was flushed red and his eyes stinging the air around them as he dared not to blink as he gave Snape a look that could have melted cauldrons. Snape pressed his long thin fingers to his cut lip and looked at the blood on his fingers bitterly. The punch may have broken his jaw. Harry managed to get back on his feet and drew his own wand.

"Take it back," growled Harry.

"You'll pay for that Potter!" Snape bellowed.

Harry threw a curse at Snape who blocked it quickly.

"I SAID TAKE IT BACK!" ordered Harry.

Snape licked his cut lip wrathfully, "Why should I?"

"Cuz it's your fault!" yelled Harry, "it's all your fault, I told you about Sirius and you wouldn't listen, you just had to keep baiting him. You do it all the time, you do it to me, to everyone! It's your fault! It's your fault! IT'S ALL YOUR ROTTEN FAULT!"

"You know nothing you stupid little child, just as arrogant as your father, and wasn't he just a pack of laughs," Snape shrieked back.

"Where were you?" Harry yelled, "Where were you? I didn't see you fighting in the Department of Mysteries that night."

"No Potter," sneered Snape, "I'm not everyone's hero, that's your job……and your not very good at it, what's your death count up to now Potter?"

Harry stood gaping for a second before answering. His breathing was deep and heavy like that of an enraged bull.

"You can't talk about death counts," he growled, "you're nothing but a Death Eater! Sirius was more than you'll ever be."

"That's where you're wrong Potter, I'd rather be a failed Death Eater than a failed Secret Keeper!"

Harry was taking deep loathing breaths his wand flicking angry red sparks. He immediately turned on his heel and fled the dungeon running as fast as he could. He ran into an abandoned classroom and slammed his head against the blackboard. A spider scurried across the floor in fear.

"_Cruico_!" Harry called at it menacingly, turning his wand on it. The spider twitched helplessly under the spell. Eventually Harry lifted the curse before stamping on the spider with his foot. He felt oddly calm after he had had a chance to yell and release some emotion. His breath slowing leveled out until he realised what he done. Shaking nervously he fled the scene falling with every step as he tripped over stairs and walked back and forth around corridors desperate for a place to go.

"Harry?" he heard Hagrid call somewhere behind him but he just hurried away desperate to be alone.

Finally he made it to the Gryffindor Tower before he managed to collapse on the floor shaking with mixed emotions, grief, anger, and guilt.

******

Harry did not turn up to his next lesson. In fact, he skipped the whole week. Instead he spent the time with Kingsley who had returned again to Hogwarts. They talked about Swazis Wizarding Population in Africa where Kingsley was from, they were the oldest wizards on the earth, and in control of many wild and powerful magics. Harry got the feeling Kingsley knew he was avoiding something however Kingsley always made himself available to Harry to ask questions. Harry was quite relieved and the work was a good distraction.

"Do you think that if someone uses an Unforgivable curse they are evil?" he asked Kingsley one morning during their curses practice.

"I don't think anything is unforgivable Harry," Kingsley replied in his soft deep baritone, pausing for a moment to lean on his wooden cane called a knobherry that was scripted with runes. Harry nodded and returned to casting shields and hexes.

*****

"Harry," a soft voice whispered and Harry recognised it as his mothers. "Hello Harry," she smiled at him and lifted him into her arms. Harry was in his childhood bedroom at Godric's Hollow. Harry heard the sound of a door slam and muffled noises.

"Where's Harry?" called a young male voice loudly as Harry heard bounding up the stairs. Sirius Black entered the room and took young Harry from his mother. Sirius' wide smile reached to his warm eyes, then unhaunted by dementors and death. Harry cooed reaching his small fingers and tried to grab Sirius' hair.

"Padfoot," grinned Remus who had followed Sirius into the room, "leave the poor boy alone." Remus looked at Sirius and Harry laughing at how domesticated his wild friend was in the company of the infant.

"We'd better let them be Remus," laughed Harry's mother who looked at Sirius as he sat down on top a trunk of toys holding the baby tightly with eyes only for Harry. "Let's go downstairs, James is making some lunch."

Sirius whispered, "hello there, young man, you're going to grow up and be so strong, yes you are." And he bounced the baby on his knee.

Baby Harry just giggled as he tried to reach for Sirius. Sirius held Harry up to his face and blew raspberries on his chubby tummy causing Harry to squeal with delight. Sirius laughed too, it was warm and gentle, as he hugged Harry.

"I love you so much Harry," said Sirius softly, closing his eyes as if haunted by an eerie feeling of impending terror.

Harry looked at his young soft face, his sympathetic black lashes pressed together like a gentle kiss, his ebony hair falling tenderly about his face, the moisture on his delicate red lips still glistering.

"I love you Harry," Sirius whispered again raising the baby.

Suddenly Sirius' eyes flew open, as if struck by a lightening bolt, they were replaced with blood red slits a deep sinister voice whispered, "I love you, Harry"

Harry screamed and woke clutching his scar painfully. The pain shot angry bursts of energy down his body as Harry tried to recognise where he was.

__

Shit, shit, I've been possessed, thought Harry wildly trying to calm down but the pain from his scar was tearing through his brain.

He fumbled to grab the mirror beside his bed.

"Remus! Remus!" he called in panic and the man's face appeared alert and worried.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Remus asked quickly, "shit!" Remus exclaimed as he looked at the angry red scar that burned on Harry's forehead.

"A nightmare, a vision, my scar, oh it's hurts," Harry winced painfully.

"I thought you were blocking it out now Harry?" asked Remus.

"I tried, I'm trying," cried Harry on the verge of tears. He tried to empty all his emotion while Remus whispered comforting words. 

"Breathe Harry," coaxed Remus, "just concentrate on your breathing."

Harry relaxed as he tried to let go of all the burning feelings, the pain in his head slowly leaving as he focused on gentle breathing in and out. Inhale and exhale, all the while Remus' soft voice was whispering gentle words of encouragement. Eventually he calmed down and was able to thank Remus and try to get back to sleep. He gritted his teeth angry, how dare Voldemort play with his mind, ruin his memories. Even worse, Harry knew full well that he would have to turn up to his lesson with Snape tomorrow.

*****

Standing tentatively outside Professor Snape's office Harry took deep breaths to clear his head and heart. He knocked gently on the door. He was greeted with silence, Harry paused a moment and then knocked again a little harder.

The door flew open and Snape was sitting at his desk. His arched form was spread out over his chair as he sat reading a book on Greek Philosophies, written in Latin. His dark black hair fell over the side of his cheek, gently held out of his eyes by long thin fingers creating an interesting contrast. He leaned his elbow against the desk and used one hand to flick the pages of his book casually.

"Potter," he stated not moving his eyes up from the page.

"Professor, Sir, I wanted to apologise," Harry mumbled.

"No you don't," said Snape as he flicked to the next page.

"I do," answered Harry his voice rising in volume a bit and he cursed himself for rising to Snape's bait. He breathed deeply trying to push out his escalating anger, "Yes, I do, I shouldn't have punched you, it was wrong."

Snape folded the page of his book and closed it gently on his desk. Resting his elbows upon it he gazed into Harry's green eyes. Harry stared back, not defiantly but honestly willing Snape to forgive him, in an ongoing battle for composure. 

Snape looked deeper into Harry's eyes. Snape's black eyes seemed endless and Harry subconsciously leaned in watching the dark pools stir like the sea before a storm. He felt it, he felt Snape crawling in through his eyes. He tried to stop it, tried to prevent him but the room was fast fading. He heard voices and colours swirled past. Snape smiled and it angered Harry momentarily, Snape used this as his chance grabbing the memory Harry had been fearing. Confused, Snape watched the family scene unfold, Lily holding Harry and Sirius coming entering the bedroom. _Stop it_, Harry demanded but it did no good, Snape sunk further in. _I can't let him know_, pleaded Harry, _not this, not Voldemort_. Harry tried to think of something else, he tried to relax and the scene changed, he could hear Remus now, "Just breathe Harry," the voice said gently. Slowly the colours of the room came back into focus and Harry felt himself built an impenetrable wall. The Professor's office became clearer including the floating potions ingredients in Harry's peripheral.

Snape stared at Harry incredulously for a moment as if wanting to know more, wanting to know what that memory held, why Harry wanted to hide it. But he couldn't break through.

"Better," Snape whispered, "you've a long way to go if you expect to stop the Dark Lord. Now get out of here and make sure you're back here tomorrow better prepared."

Harry turned and fled.

****

Review Suggestions

"HOW DARE HE! I will kill SNAPE!"

"Snape - 1, Harry - 0"

"I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter but perfectly patient and will wait till whenever you are ready to post. No rush really."


	6. Chapter Six

****

Chapter Six

"Potter," Harry heard a familiar female voice call as he was walking back to the Gryffindor Tower after a long round of Quidditch practice. Harry had taken advantage of the free afternoon and the Quidditch pitch help relieve some of his anger for Snape.

"Yes?" said Harry walking into Professor McGoungall's office.

Her office was neat and orderly. McGoungall had year photos of graduated students around the office, a few cards, and some pictures of cats. Harry tried to spot his Dad and Sirius but there were too many students grinning and waving happily from the photos. Harry noticed McGoungall's Gryffindor scarf draped over the back of a chair but the rest of the office was decorated in soft pastels. McGoungall sat behind her desk, two stacks of letters covered it, with a magical emerald green quill writing addresses on the letters of one stack and the addressed envelopes flew neatly to the other stack. 

"Sit, sit," McGoungall directed kindly and Harry sat down, happy to be in a teachers office without being in trouble for once. "Like the quill Potter," she asked fondly, when she noticed Harry watching it.

"Yes," Harry said recognising the green writing, "is that the one that wrote my letter."

McGoungall chuckled loudly. "Oh yes! It was quite a sight that year."

Harry smiled sheepishly and watched the quill as it just finished 'Seamus Finnigan.'

"Now the quill," she began, "is exactly why I have called you in. These letters are to all the sixth year students informing them of their subjects and booklist for this year. I have arranged your classes for you and seeing as your staying with us I thought I'd give you yours now."

She handed Harry the parchment and his scanned it thoughtfully.

"Dumbledore has gotten your books owl ordered so you won't have to travel down Diagon Alley." Harry frowned at McGoungall, his trips to Diagon Alley were always fun and he hadn't been able to go last year. To stop himself from talking back he looked back down at the parchment in his hands.

"Wait," Harry started as he reread the booklist, "there are potions books listed here. Oh, are you teaching me potions professor," Harry said eagerly

"Whatever gave you that idea?" McGoungall said shaking her head.

"But how?" Harry asked, "it's not with Snape, he said that he wouldn't be taking students below 'outstanding.'"

"Professor Snape Harry, and it seems this year the Professor has kindly agreed to make a special allowance."

"What," blurted Harry, certain that there must be something wrong, Snape would never allow Harry in his class. Harry had cursed him, punched him, and the two were still at odds. Harry questioned further but McGoungall had nothing more to say on the matter.

******

"Get off the floor Potter," snarled Snape after another attack on Harry's mind. Harry had been focussing mainly on being able to clear his mind over the last couple of days. While Harry was building a better resistance by leaving his emotions at the door he was worn down easily by Snape's aggression.

Harry stood up calmly, _just think of Remus_, he told himself as the Professor continued to leer at him. Harry had been able to push Snape back many times now, even on small occasions to breakdown the walls and peak at some of Snape's thoughts. Disturbingly sometimes they were of Snape's parents fighting and yelling. Harry watched terrified one moment as he witnessed a young Snape, no more than six or seven, fly across the room after being hit by his father.

However the flashbacks were mainly of his father, taunting Snape, and often Snape taunting him. But Snape never left Harry there for long, sometimes he would just hear words and see colours. Snivellus. Harry grinned stupidly, _you haven't left your anger at the door Snape_, he sneered, _your still holding on to your stupid father/son prejudices_.

While Harry was grinning Snape took the opportunity to hit Harry again with the curse. Harry tried to empty his mind, engaging Snape in a blank stare. He was able to stand this time fighting and the room remained in focus. Snape however was smirking maliciously, "Black" he mouthed at Harry who rose to the bait like a wild fire.

He fell as Snape entered his mind again. Scenes were mixed and scrabbled, all images of Sirius, eating ravagingly in the cave in Hogsmeade……in dog form watching Harry play Quidditch…..looming over Pettigrew in the Shrieking Shack with fire in his eyes…..kissing baby Harry……blowing raspberries…..that soft beautiful face frozen for a moment……..Voldemort's eyes!

Snape jerked back painfully clutching his forearm.

"What was that Potter?" Snape demanded, limping back looking dizzy searching for his desk to lean on.

Harry winced in pain as his scar burned again like it had that first night when it woke him. Harry's head was burning it made his eyes blur.

"He's here," Harry whispered beating his chest, "he's inside me."

"He's inside everyone Potter," Snape said flippantly, still rubbing his mark, his face contorted with pain, "don't think yourself special."

Harry looked at Snape incredulously - as if Snape had indeed revealed some personal secret. Snape groaned as he fell onto his desk. Composing himself Harry was standing and felt the pain leave him.

"Are you okay, Sir," Harry asked.

"Yes," barked Snape, "fine, now go." But Snape didn't get to finish his diatribe as he collapsed over his desk.

Harry ran to him pulling back his long sleeve. There, above the pale white scars, was the Dark Mark, and it was burning black.

"Professor," Harry called shaking the man's thin shoulders.

Panicking Harry stood and looked around Snape's office as if expecting someone to shout orders at him. Snape slowly roused, groaning loudly as he lifted his arm to hold his head. Snape pushed himself up, batting Harry away as he collapsed in his chair. Harry stood flustering around him like he wanted to help but not quite sure what to do. Harry did the first thing that came to his mind and hurried to grab him a glass of water.

"Here," Harry said thrusting the glass at Snape, "drink this."

Snape sneered at Harry, as if to say 'do you think I'm stupid.' Flinching in pain he took the beaker and held it to his face, his large nose smelling it's contents.

"Water?" he asked incredulously, indeed knowing what it was, but wondering why Harry in a room of potions and poisons had got it for him. Snape seemed to find this amusing, issuing a loud snort as he gulped the water. 

"What was that?" Harry asked as Snape shoved the glass back at Harry.

Snape fixed Harry with a steely glare, the room seemed to pause for a moment in time, his soft voice echoing Harry's own words, "he's here, he's inside me."

"Don't you let him out Potter," Snape growled regaining composure and pushing his dark sleeve down over the fading mark, "ever."

"I won't," Harry said, willing Snape to believe him, his thoughts about Snape changing every moment.

Snape spat bitterly on the floor and raised his eyebrow mockingly, "Yet you praise the company of Dementors so you can hear your dead mothers scream? You ignore everyone else's advice so you can continue with you "prophetic dreams"? You well in despair and hatred instead of casting it aside to do battle?"

"I don't see you casting your anger and hate aside," Harry quipped.

"Ah," Snape said so quietly the air folded around the breath of his voice, "but my battle is already lost."

Snape closed his eyes and looked uncharacteristically fragile, leaning heavily on his chair, his dark limp hair strewn across his damp, flushed, yet still pale face. Harry didn't know what to say so he backed quietly out of the room.

******

  
The rest of the lessons in Defense with Kingsley and Occlumency with Snape helped pass the holidays quickly and Harry noticed he was becoming stronger with every lesson. He woke on the morning of his sixteenth birthday excited and eager. Not noticing how much he had grown before, because the changes had been small and meager, at the beginning of this birthday, as he held the mirror to contact Remus he took a good long moment to look at the reflection staring back at him. True, he had been growing a lot these past years even though he was still relatively scrawny, at least compared to Ron. His face had changed noticeably, his cheekbones seemed more defiant and jaw line sharper. He had lost the roundness of youth. He took off his glasses to get a better look holding the mirror up close. He looked into his green eyes, they seemed naked without glasses yet powerful, and he sensed a power growing within them.

"Harry," said Remus as his face appeared and Harry sprung back as if caught in the act.

"I was just about to call you," grinned Harry collecting himself and hastily putting on his glasses.

"Happy Birthday!" Remus cried loudly, "now, what are you doing still in bed? Get down to the Great Hall." Remus winked and disappeared and Harry rushed to find his shoes throwing his school robes over his pajamas.

The Great Hall was decorated with brightly coloured balloons and streamers. One table was set up in the middle of the floor like it had been at Christmas' and it was piled with presents and surrounded by his friends.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!" they called as he arrived at the entrance to the Great Hall. His jaw dropped open in a childlike manner as he stood, his robes falling open to reveal his flannelette pajama's. The group was huge, there was Remus, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Hermione, Luna, Dean, Seamus, Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, Tonks, Kingsley, Dumbledore, McGoungall, Hagrid, Mrs Weasley, Mr Weasley, Mad Eye Moody, Mundungus Fletcher, Firenze, and Dobby bouncing on a chair piled up with cushions.

"Harry mate," grinned Ron running to meet him, Hermione closely in tow to pull him up to the table, "Happy Birthday!"

"Ron! Hermione!" he cried and enveloped them both into an unsuspecting hug. Harry was shocked, he had completely forgotten his birthday was coming and hadn't expected to see anyone.

Hermione giggled, "Harry! Happy Birthday!"

The others were chatting and laughing as Harry stumbled over to the table. He looked around bewildered saying 'hi' and being showered with birthday greetings. Dumbledore sat at the head of the table grinning fondly and gestured for Harry to come sit next to him.

"Someone told me," Dumbledore whispered, "that you had never had a birthday party."

Harry looked up at the twinkling eyes of Dumbledore. Dumbledore had become so much more of a man these holidays. Harry was still unsure what this meant and he bit his lip suddenly overcome by a rush of emotion, "thank you."

"My pleasure," he said and then turned to the table and announced, "what I think we need now, is Birthday Cake!"

Dumbledore clapped his hands and a giant cake appeared on the table, everyone sang a loud "Happy Birthday" song led by the Weasley twins and tucked into birthday cake for breakfast. Harry was so happy he had Patronus thoughts that could have emptied Azkaban. He listened to everyone's conversations cheerfully as he tucked into the chocolate cake.

He heard all about the twins joke shop from the twins themselves, they were winking at him conspiraingly as they kept talking about their financial backer. Hermione told everyone about spending time with her parents and her twelve outstanding OWLs. Neville, Dean and Seamus boasted about the new Quidditch openings. Charlie and Tonks were chatting animatedly, probably about dragons, because they were both using wild hand gestures causing the people beside them to duck. Luna seemed oddly alert congratulating Ginny on becoming perfect, but telling her how the prefects were all listed as part of a Ministry conspiracy. Bill and Kingsley were joking and Harry could hear Kingsley's loud warm laugh. Hagrid was talking loudly and more happily than Harry had seen him in a long time, "I got a present for you, but you gotta get it later," he whispered to Harry when he got the chance. Dobby was positively delighted to be invited to a party and kept conjuring balloons so that the flashing balloons hid the Great Halls magnificent roof.

After an hour and a half of celebrations and trading places around the table Harry finally got around to Remus. Remus held Harry in a tight hug and Harry looked into his brown eyes. Sirius, they both thought at the same time.

Remus smiled gingerly, "He'd want you to be having a great time."

Harry nodded and gave Remus a gentle smile. The two lulled as Harry filled him in on his summer lessons. Harry and Remus didn't have too much time to dwell on things as Fred and George were up to their usual antics, this time testing Wizard Wheezes on Dobby who was currently floating up with his balloons. The group continued partying all day, the afternoon was broken up when the children went to play Quidditch and the adults all watched in the stands cheerfully. Come nightfall as groups of people started to leave, Harry thanked them wishing this day wasn't over, he hugged them all, even Mad Eye Moody.

It turned out, however, that Hermione and Ron would not be leaving. Dumbledore had agreed to let them spend the last month of their holidays with Harry as a special birthday treat. Harry was ecstatic and after a long party the three were heaped in the empty Gryffindor common room with a giant pile of birthday presents. The three chatted excitedly as Harry opened all his presents examining each one with eagerness. 

Ron had given Harry an engraved silver whistle to use at DA meetings. Hermione had given Harry his own box set of Curses and Countercurses. Ginny had given Harry a journal which she had covered in photos of Harry and his friends, written in her tidy scrawl on the first page were the words, "Dear Harry, Happy Birthday, use this to record your thoughts, it doesn't write back, honest, love Ginny." Neville had given Harry some sort of exotic looking cactus which Harry placed on the desk of the common room away from where they were sitting in case it started squirting something foul. Luna gave him what looked to be a kaleidoscope. Dean and Seamus had gone in together to buy him a broom bag. Fred and George had given him a collection of Weasley Wizard Wheezes new inventions. The Weasley's had given him a red and gold bedspread, in the centre Mrs Weasly had stitched a golden phoenix. Tonks had given him a pair of giant glasses that had a fake moustache attached, "to keep him disguised". Kingsley had given him a set of red and black beads that smelt like sandalwood and were engraved in ancient runes. McGoungall gave Harry a two books, "Studying for your NEWTS" and "Gonna be an Auror are ya?: The Guide." Mad Eye Moody had given him a foe glass. Mundungus Fletcher had given Harry a new set of cauldrons that he had gotten a special discount on. Firenze had given Harry a star chart and Dobby had given him socks.

As Hermione and Ron played with the presents Harry noticed there were still two presents left. One was from Dumbledore and one from Remus. Harry opened Dumbledore's first and it was cushioned inside a small blue velvet box. A silver phoenix pin. It had ruby eyes and Harry let go of a small breath. He looked at it fondly as the phoenix stretched its wings. There was a note,

"Welcome Harry, to the Order of Phoenix. This phoenix is for you, wear it always, it will sing (only you can hear it) when there is a meeting and act like a portkey to Head Quarters. Happy Sixteenth Birthday."

Harry quickly stuffed it in his pocket so he would have to talk to Ron and Hermione about it. He didn't want to bring it up just yet.

Only Remus' left, Harry tore the wrapping off slowly and opened the box. Inside lay a shinning gold watch and a note. 

"This watch belonged to Sirius Harry, I am positive he would have wanted you to have it."

Harry put the watch on carefully looking carefully at the Black Family Crest that formed the face of the watch.

"Whoa," called Ron as he looked up from the pile of presents he was examining, "who gave you that? Looks like a heritage watch."

Hermione picked up the note and nudged Ron. Harry looked up from the watch quietly, Hermione shuffled over to him and hugged him hard.

"We're so sorry," said Hermione through Harry's unruly hair.

"Thanks Hermione," whispered Harry as he cried softly on her shoulder.

"Ron," said Hermione mouthed bossily, "get over here!"

Ron moved uncertainly over to Harry and patted him awkwardly on the back while Hermione rolled her eyes at him. It wasn't a touching moment, but it was nice. Harry thought it was the best birthday present ever, friends.

*****

Ron, Harry and Hermione had a great end of the holidays settling back into the dorms getting ready for the new school year. With all the excitement and secrets of last year they really hadn't had time to themselves and the last week of the holidays was spent acting like they had in first year. Hermione bullying Ron to finish his essays, which of course, he had left until the last week, losing games of chess to Ron, Quidditch practice and free reign of the castle.

Ron and Hermione joined him for classes with Kingsley and lessons with Snape didn't seem as bad with Hermione giving him encouraging smiles and Ron complaining about Snape. The time seemed to fly. Harry had always looked forward to the start of the school year because it meant that he was returning to Hogwarts however, this year Harry wished the term would wait. Each year at Hogwarts had always been a crazy adventure for Harry and his friends and with Voldemort risen and bidding his time Harry shouldered that uncertain feeling that something terrible was just around the corner.

****

Review Suggestions

"If I were at Harry's birthday party I would give him (insert present you would give him here)"

"I wonder what a heritage watch is?"

"The trio together at last!" 


	7. Chapter Seven

****

Chapter Seven

If there was any way to shake those feelings it was at the Hogwarts start of term feast. Skipping the customary trip on the Hogwarts Express, Hemione, Ron and Harry jumped eagerly around waiting for their friends to arrive annoying all the teachers as they arrived throughout the day. They trio were first to sit at the Hogwarts tables as they watched others enter, firstly the older students calling out hello's and jostling with old friends, then the younger ones shuffled in and finally the first years like nervous ducklings travelling up behind Professor McGoungall.

This time when McGoungall placed the old Sorting Hat on a stool at the front of the school the students ceased talking immediately. Last year the sorting hat had branched out, forgoing the usual sorting song to give the school a heady warning, stand together, be strong from within. This year as students waited with baited breath. The fearful faces of the first years were glowing in the pale candlelight and gasped when the hat's brim opened wide like a mouth to begin it's song:

__

It is I, the sorting hat,  
The oldest hat I know.  
And last year I sang a song,  
one you first years wouldn't know.  
The song warned of rift  
and terrors, of outside our walls.  
I said to you, young students;  
'Save Hogwarts it might fall!'  
Bad deeds were done,  
yet Hogwarts - free,  
to have a new year over.  
But the wars still raging on  
and we divided like a clover.  
It reminds me of our Hogwarts four,  
there were no better bunch.  
The four together once did start a school  
and it packed quite a punch.  
They struggled in a time of darkness  
to educate our mage.  
Each rounding up those special sort  
that they thought were worthy.  
Slytherin the noble chap,  
sort out cunning and ambitious.  
Fair Ravenclaw looked for brains,  
her lot weren't superstitious  
Gryffindor sort brave and bold -  
to live inside his tower.  
Gentle Hufflepuff loved the loyal,  
and she was never sour.  
Together the school stood tall and proud  
For, oh, so many years,  
but that's not how the story ends  
and herein lies my fears.  
Trouble comes to those who  
fight among each other.  
So gesture to another house  
and accept them like a brother.  
Standing you young first years   
together, share a shiver.  
As you're called to be sorted;  
I fear I must deliver,  
but remember my young friends  
the war is far but ended  
and only in our brothers arms  
can our school be mended.

The hall burst into loud applause, many people whispering and gesturing. Harry heard Ernie McMillin shouting from the Hufflepuff table, "Top Song, Hat!" Finally when the students cheering died down Professor McGoungall called the first years to be sorted. The nervous looking lot were called to be split into their respective houses and Harry watched his empty plate eagerly for dinner. However his head snapped up when he heard a familiar name,

"Mark Evens," called Professor McGoungall and Harry watched his redheaded neighbor stumble towards the sorting hat nervously. 

"HUFFLEPUFF!" it called and the boy ran to join the table. Harry watched him eagerly but as the boy was sitting at another table Harry had no chance to ask him questions. Soon enough Dumbledore stood to give the usual announcements. 

"Students," he said as he slowly got up from his chair, "are of course forbidden to enter the Forbidden Forest as the name strictly suggests. The list of forbidden objects that is kept outside Mr. Filch's office has a new items added to it - they are Skiving Snackboxes, Fainting Fancies and Nosebleed Nougat."

"The twins will be thrilled," whispered Ron delighted. Harry however was still reeling over the new student from Surrey.

"There have been some changes to the curriculum and class structure this year as some of you might note. Defense Against the Dark Arts and Dueling are now compulsory courses, and now let us please welcome Kingsley Shaklebolt, one of the Ministry's top Aurors and our new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor." Dumbledore made a toast before sitting back down.

There was a gentle round of applause as Kingsley stood, holding his cane, wearing deep purple dress robes laced with golden trimming. It was very different from the normal Auror robes that Harry had seen him wearing previously. Beads hung around his neck, like the ones he had given Harry but they were laced with bright red feathers. Before Kingsley could be seated the room was suddenly filled with food and the Hogwarts houses shared a feast. Harry looked at his friends and around at the Hogwarts Hall, this year was going to be interesting.

****

"Potter," drawled an irritating voice, "what are you doing here?"

The Gryffindors were filled neatly outside of the Transfiguration classroom waiting for McGoungall to come and begin the lesson.

"Malfoy," Harry sneered. Before they could launch into the usual retorts Justin Flinch-Fetchley interrupted and clapped Harry on the back.

"Harry," Justin exclaimed, "you're doing advanced Transfiguration too!" Justin was followed by the rest of the Hufflepuffs and Harry saw the sixth year Ravenclaws walking up from another direction. Malfoy looked at the students too, eyes narrowed, slinking back as the others came to greet Harry.

"What's going on?" asked Harry, "are we all sharing the class?"

"Yep," answered Hannah eagerly, "it's part of Dumbledore's new scheme, all classes for fifth year and above are shared."

"Cool," said Ron looking at the number of students, "everyone must be taking Transfiguration!"

"Everyone," said Hermione smugly, as if she had just taken a head count, and her voiced rose as she glared at Malfoy and the Slytherins, "except Crabbe." The group turned and quickly noticed the absence of Draco's second lacky as they laughed loudly.

"Class," called McGoungall as she came up behind them quieting the chuckles with a glare and ushering them inside. The classroom had been magically expanded to fit forty people and the students quickly arranged themselves. McGoungall took the role quickly before beginning her lecture.

"Firstly congratulations to all of you for passing your Transfiguration OWL, now this year we will be beginning on the NEWT study for next year so I expect the best from all of you. There will be no excuses for slacking or unfinished homework, I'll have you all turn to pages 114 to begin the chapter on human transformations."

The class obeyed having developed a new respect for the Deputy Headmistress after last year. The lesson went quite well, Harry was pleased to see that Draco made a mistake turning Goyle's hair bright pink instead of the light blue they were aiming for.

The other classes were similar as they were shared with the other houses. Ron was not happy having to sit between a giggling Pavrati and Lavender in the forest like classroom as Harry sat with the Ravenclaws in Divination.

Care of Magical creatures had a severe lack of Slytherin's with only one scrawny Slytherin boy, Theodore Nott attending. Hagrid glad to be back at Hogwarts had again returned to his "misunderstood" creatures showing them a Pogrebin, a horned devil thing that devoured humans by causing them the feel hopeless and it disguised itself as a stone. After a rather depressing lesson Harry was cheered by an offer to tea for him and the others next week.

Charms was another class that was packed to the brim. This time everyone but Seamus attended. Poor Professor Flitwick had difficulty managing the first class with a small fight breaking out between Slytherin and the other houses. Of course Draco started it, trying to curse Harry and Ron from his seat on the opposite side of the classroom.

Herbology comparatively was a quieter class with a couple of Slytherins (not Draco, his goons, or Pansy), all the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors and a few Ravenclaws. Neville blushed when Professor Sprout congratulated him on a top OWL mark in the first lesson.

The smallest class was History of Magic, it was just Harry, Hermione and a Slytherin boy Harry remembered being called Blaise. Hermione and Harry sat at the opposite side of the classroom but Binns didn't seem to notice droning on at his usual pace.

Potions was another small class consisting of, Harry, Hermione, Draco, Pansy, Su Li (Ravenclaw), Terry Boot (Ravenclaw) and Daphne Greengrass (Slytherin). If Harry was supposed to think that Professor Snape was letting him take potions as a favour then he was sorely mistaken. The first lesson was very difficult and Snape sneered at Harry and mocked him even worse than usual. Harry thought he might have had a Neville accident but when partnered with Hermione he was able to get through it. Draco however was casting Harry dangerous and questioning glances.

The week was rounded off with easily the best class - Defence Against the Dark Arts. The whole year filed in to the compulsory class late on Thursday afternoon. Kingsley already stood in the classroom looking like royalty, smiling proudly, and leaning gingerly on his cane. 

"Welcome," he said slowly and the students settled down, "to your first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Now, as the classes are compulsory the classes are going to be split up. Twice a week all the year will meet for dueling lessons, and the other lessons will be divided up according to your OWL grades."

"Why do we have to duel, I'm not going to be an Auror?" asked Morag McDougall a chubby Ravenclaw girl.

"Because Death Eaters don't care if you're an Auror or not," yelled Ernie and some other students giggled but Morag looked suitably abashed and bowed her head.

"Because," Kingsleys vowel sounds were well rounded and the class looked up at him appraisingly. "Every morning in Africa a lion wakes up and knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. And every morning a gazelle wakes up and knows it must ran faster then the quickest lion or it will be eaten. So, it doesn't matter if you're a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better start running."

No body asked anymore questions about the classes after that and Kingsley began talking about proper dueling manner and methods so they would be prepared four their first dueling lesson for next week. Apparently Flitwick was coming along to help supervise and Hermione was ecstatic, "he was a dueling champion!"

Harry's first dueling lesson was fun, the first lesson was mainly instruction and the year watched Kingsley and Flitwick duel. Flitwick's skill and speed awed Harry, you could see why he was a champion dueler, as he conjured distractions and could duck and dive out of almost every hex. 

The advanced Defense class consisted of the members of DA and the Slytherin's, Queenie, Millcent, Draco and Pansy. Hermione tried to get Harry's attention all lesson but he ignored her caught up in the lesson of ancient shields. The shield's were conjured out of thin air like the one Voldemort used in their last battle. The lessons with Kingsley were interesting and difficult yet left Harry feeling drained at the end of the week. With Occlumency lessons on top of that Harry was exhausted. 

*****

At the end of the first mad two weeks the Gryffindors collapsed in the common room.

"I knew it!" said Hermione as she plonked down next to Harry, Ron, Neville and Ginny.

"You know everything," Ron muttered and she cast him a look.

"Kingsley is involved in some sort of Dark Magic," Hermione declared as she spun the book she was holding and pointed sternly to some runes.

"That's ridiculous," said Ron, who was known for declaring the teachers as evil, and he shrugged at the page of runes. Harry looked at the page, having never studied runes he had no idea what they meant, but he recognised them.

"Where are they from?" asked Harry.

"His cane," Hermione stated and then slammed the book shut, "the runes are of Pride and Power the two mainly associated with the Dark Arts. Of course, these runes aren't the normal ones that you would use on enchanted objects - I found these in the restricted section as part of the ancient _dark_ African magics. They are used for defending and conjuring the dead. And his cane…."

"Knobherrry," interrupted Neville, "it's an ancient conjuring stick."

Hermione nodded, Ginny looked scandalised. 

"As in spirits?" she asked, and Neville nodded. Ginny looked thoughtful, "I thought I could sense some dark magic around him," she said to herself.

"I don't think so," said Ron stubbornly taking up Hermione's usual argument, "remember Dumbledore trusts him, he is part of the Order of Phoenix."

"Dumbledore has been wrong before," argued Hermione and Ron scowled darkly, "what do you think Harry?"

"I don't know," Harry said truthfully, "he was nice to me all summer. And he does make an active stance against Voldemort. He's an Auror."

"Well, just because you're an Auror doesn't automatically make you good, plus he's working outside of the Ministry, remember Harry how he cursed Marietta last year to stop her from telling about DA." Hermione contended. The others refrained from argument.

"That was to protect Harry!" burst Ron. Harry shivered. He was recalling the way the curse slithered past him to hit Marietta right under Fudge's nose.

Hermione swelled as she gestured at the runes again, "then why would he have a knobherry linked to the Dark Arts!"

"Dumbledore must know what the runes mean, I suppose he has it under control…" Ron argued weakly.

Hermonie 'hmmp'ed loudly, "He might not know what they mean, they were in the restricted section and he has quite a lot going on these days!"

"Come on," coaxed Ron, "this is Dumbledore we're talking about."

"How about you just ask him?" suggested Neville. Ginny nodded, "you three are always running off - don't you think you should just ask Dumbledore? Or Kingsley, I mean he seems nice enough."

Before either Hermione or Ron could answer McGoungall entered the common room. The students quickly quieted. McGoungall had only ever been in the common room in times of emergencies and Harry panicked suddenly, _had something happened with Voldemort?_

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley," she said walking over to their table quickly and the group looked up as if they had been caught doing something wrong.

"Yes Professor," said Ron innocently. McGoungall's faced twitched in a sudden smile.

"You're going to have to do better with those guilty faces," she joked, "Weasley as the oldest member of the Quidditch team, after talking with Professor Hootch, it has been decided that you are the new Gryffindor Quidditch captain. We have revoked any life times bans and you can reestablish the Gryffindor team as you see fit."

McGoungall was still talking but Harry tuned out as Ron beamed and was handed the captains' badge - the other students who were within earshot whooped and cheered, and Ginny grabbed a shell shocked Ron in a big hug. Harry however just sat there staring at Ron's stunned face.

"Congratulations Ron," said Michael the Gryffindor beater with a bunch of third years who had run up to the table.

"Congratulations!" cried Hermione, completely forgetting their argument and hugging Ron as well. Ron suddenly broke into a huge grin.

"Captain," he stuttered and people had started to sing "Weasley, he's our king."

"Congratulations," echoed Harry quietly as he pushed himself up from the table to make room for the Creevy brothers who were battling to ask Ron about trials. Moving to the corner Harry felt silly, he should be happy for Ron, but he wasn't. He cast an unnoticed jealous look at the Weasley in question who was already talking animatedly to the Gryffindors about trials and new training schemes. Had they forgotton that he was the youngest player in a century?

Harry caught bits and pieces of the conversation from the corner. "Of course Harry will be back on the team," he heard Ron assure the Creevy's.

"Thanks very much captain," Harry muttered sarcastically under his breath and turned to face the wall drowning everyone out. How could they do this too him again, first the Prefect badge and now this. Of course, they had to pick Ron he argued, after all Harry wasn't even on the team. But it wasn't supposed to be this way, it's supposed to be Ron that's jealous of me, Harry grumbled in self-pity.

"Hey Harry," said Ginny slightly flushed from all the excitement, "isn't it great, Ron captain."

"Fantastic," Harry said fighting to keep the jealousy from his voice and giving a weak smile.

"Oh Harry, cheer up. It's just a technicality - you know that. You heard McGoungall, it would have been you, maybe next year. It will be great having you on the team again. Can't you just be happy for Ron?" Ginny asked driving home on his anger.

"I am, I'm just tired, it has been a long week." Ginny raised an eyebrow but didn't press the matter instead made her way up to bed. Nobody else bothered Harry until there was silence in the common room. He looked up and realised why. While he had been grumbling in the corner everyone else had staggered to bed - everyone except - Ron and Hermione, who were now making their way over to him. Harry tried to smile convincingly.

"Hey Ron," said Harry, "congrats mate."

Ron grinned, "thanks." Hermione however could sense the tone in Harry's voice and shot him a glare.

Ron plonked in the chair next to Harry. "This is great," Ron started saying, "it's everything, hey Harry, it's like a dream this, remember the mirror Harry in first year? I'll be Head Boy next!"

Harry tried not to scoff out loud. Head Boy indeed! He instead settled for nodding which was all that Ron needed as he continued talking about Quidditch.

But Harry found himself thinking about the mirror. He remembered it well. The Mirror of Erised showed you your deepest desires. Harry had seen the parents he had never known; Ron had seen himself, as head boy, Quidditch captain and prefect. Harry wondered what he would see now. He didn't have to think long - he would see Sirius. Somehow it humbled him, these things didn't matter anymore, not like they used too. Harry actually managed to feel a little happy for Ron, Hermione looked at him relived obviously not wanting to repeat fourth year, as they all talked into Sunday morning.

****

Review Suggestions

"That was fantastic, you are the best in the world, I wish I could be as clever, smart, beautiful and funny as you."

"What the hell is 'divided like a clover supposed to mean???"

"(Insert your own sorting song here)"


	8. Chapter Eight

****

Chapter Eight

Ginny and Harry collapsed in a muddy sweaty heap at the Gryffindor table. Hermione looked up from her toast at the wind swept pair. It was Tuesday morning - the day of the Quidditch trials. Monday had of course been a disaster; Harry had struggled through double Potions where Snape lived up to his friendly reputation, and Tuesday was shaping up to feel no better after such a crazy morning spent on the Quidditich pitch.

"Ron's going to kill you two," Hermione greeted them.

"He's worse than Oliver," moaned Harry, pushing his messy hair out of his face and piling breakfast onto his plate.

"And this was just the trials!" exclaimed Ginny, doing the same, "wait until practices start. He's already pulled out his Chudley Cannons Playbook and started writing some of his own. It's gonna be torture!"

Harry grunted in agreement, he was still upset that he wasn't Quidditch Captain as he knew he deserved it, yet grudgingly had to admit Ron was a great Captain.

"At least we got to rearrange the team," Ginny said. "It is so much better with you as Seeker again, and the Creevy's might work out okay."

Harry nodded in agreement as he ate quickly, Hermione eyed the pair like they were feeding at the zoo, winced in distaste, and not one for Quidditch talk, changed the subject.

"When are we meeting for DA?" she asked.

"DA?" Harry said wildly, trying to mentally sort out his timetable.

"People have been asking me," she explained as she buttered toast, "and I was thinking maybe we could meet this Wednesday. I could put the charm out on the Gallon and we can see who turns up."

Harry felt inside his Quidditch robes looking for his DA Gallon, but jolted as he fingered the flapping wings of his phoenix. He had almost forgotten about it, he pushed it deep into his pocket. _How had it gotten there? _He distinctly remembered putting it in his desk drawer after his birthday, and wouldn't dare take it out onto the Quidditch pitch. _Wasn't it supposed to sing?_ Harry fingered it nervously in deep contemplation until Hermione snapped her fingers.

"What? Oh, DA, sure," recovered Harry, "but I don't have my Gallon here."

Hermione pulled hers out and recited the charm that activated it, the date came up on the coin. Ginny who was holding her on coin looked down and nodded. Hermione looked from Harry to Ginny, they both looked as if they had been trampled by raging Hippogriffs.

"You two had better shower and sharpen up, we have duelling again this afternoon." Hermione said warningly, as if they needed to be alert for reasons more than dueling. 

Ginny dramatically dropped her head to the table, red hair splattered. Harry groaned and tucked into a second bowl of porridge.

****

Tuesday got worse. Harry was running late the whole day. After just making it to first period, he rushed between classes with the odd feeling that people were watching him, but whenever he turned around noone was there. Finally, the last lesson came and the sixth years filled into the duelling room where Snape was talking in a low voice with Kingsley.

"Great, Snape," Ron muttered to Harry as they formed a group at the side.

Draco Malfoy pushed past the Gryffindors smiling. "Look it's Weasley, the keeper that couldn't catch a cold." The other Slytherin's laughed.

Ron fumed, his ears turning the violent shade of red that clashed with his hair. "Ignore him," muttered Hermione to Ron under her breath.

"What's wrong Weasel, need your Mudblood girlfriend to tell you what to do?" Malfoy sneered.

"Take that back," demanded Neville and Ron at the same time pushing forward.

Malfoy looked at Neville like he was the scum from the bottom of his shoe. Neville stepped down, and Malfoy turned to sneer at Ron some more. Snape watched the scene unfold in mock interest.

"Is there a problem?" asked Kingsley in a resonating tone.

"No problem," said Ron loudly not taking his eyes from Malfoy's pale face.

The group assembled around in the centre of the room. Previously in dueling they had been watching some of the teachers' battle and learning proper dueling manner and casting. Today however they were breaking themselves into pairs to duel. Snape appeared behind Harry before he even noticed.

"Well, I think it's time for a re-match," Snape sneered as he gestured for Malfoy to move forward.

Draco smirked as he walked up to Harry. The two were paired in the centre of the room and other students were turning to watch them, getting hexed by their duelling partner in the process. The last time Harry and Draco dueled was infamous - during their second year, where Harry had shown the school he was a parselmouth.

They came closer to bow.

"You are going down," said Malfoy whose eyes glittered dangerously, never taking his eyes off Harry.

Harry looked up trying to look bored although he was quite nervous, "Floo someone who cares."

"On three, 1…..2…..3!"

Harry was the first to get off a curse this time, "Serpensortia!" he cried as he watched the serpent fly out of his wand, anxious to turn the tables with this curse.

"Iveneska," replied Draco, banishing the python before it hit the floor and returning fire.

Harry barely had the time to conjure a weak shield yet the curse absorbed into it and gave Harry a chance to return to his footing.

"Palatrous," called Harry and an electric blue cord shot from his wand, it was the binding spell he had learnt over the summer. Draco narrowly avoided it and flung off another curse. He was quick on his feet and quite a dueler. Even with Harry's practices with Kingsley and DA, they were pretty much on par. Draco must have been having extra lessons, too, but Harry didn't have time to dwell on this as they picked up the pace.

The fire charm, the confounding charm, the choking charm, the banishing charm, the tripping charm, the pain charm, the water charm, the tickling charm, they all spun past like lightening, each avoided or repelled. The rest of the sixth years were gaping at the two dodge back and forth quickly. Ernie took this as a chance to stun Neville who fell to the ground yet still looked up to watch Harry and Draco like nothing had happened.

Draco wasn't sneering now as he looked quite flushed and dodged another of Harry's stunning charms. Harry was finally wearing him down able to get of more aggressive charms than defensive curses. Draco looked furious as he dived to get out of the way from another of Harry's curses.

__

Get him while he is down, thought Harry mentally, no about to make the same mistake as last time and he quickly flung off a succession of stunning spells. Draco maneuvered to get out of the way physically knocking Harry back in the process. Harry stumbled for a moment and Draco muttered something under his breath and a red bullet flew at Harry. Before Harry had a chance to react a silver jet of light engulfed him, Kingsley had trapped him, yet the red bullet rickoshaed, off his silver coating, to the side, burning through the wall.

"Disqualified!" yelled Kingsley as he spun on the fallen form of Malfoy, "That is an illegal curse!"

"Actually," interrupted Snape, moving to pull Draco to his feet, "you'll find that the curse is not illegal in dueling competition."

"It can only be used by the second," argued Kingsley, "as you well know, and I will not have killing curses shot in my class."

Students gasped and Snape shrugged as if he couldn't see no reason why killing curses should be banned from student dueling classes.

"Very well," Snape said, "I will see to it that Draco is punished, now come with me Draco, I think this class is about over."

Draco and Snape left with other Slytherin's skating behind. Kingsley dismissed the rest of the students, but Harry and the Gryffindors hung back a bit as Kingsley checked Harry was alright and as a group they walked nervously back to the Gryffindor tower.

"Now do you believe me, Hermione?" asked Ron, breaking the silence, "he was trying to save Harry."

"Hmm," said Hermione non-committaly but it looked like her mind was somewhere else.

******

"Hi Guys," said Harry, "glad you could make it."

He surveyed the Room of Requirement where everyone, bar Marietta and the graduated students, had returned.

"I'm glad to see you all back here," Harry said repeating the speech he had practiced in the shower, "now that the Ministry has accepted Voldemort's return, it is time for us to start recruiting. I think we need to start making an active stance against Voldemort around the school, supporting students who are threatened, and spreading the word of Albus Dumbledore. A great man, needs a great army, and so I think we should increase our practices as well. I know we are already doing dueling, but if Malfoy proved anything yesterday it's that the opposition are tough and prepared." He stopped to frown reflectively. "Some have been training all their lives for this, so we have to match them, fight for fight - we _will_ be better."

Ginny cheered and others murmured in agreement. The group began a discussion on recruiting methods. Draco and the Slytherin's already knew about them, so they had to be careful. They agreed to urr on the side of caution and Harry watched Zacharias Smith and the Hufflepuffs whispering in the corner.

After the meeting Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny and Luna stayed behind to clean up. Luna was making cushions fly around the room before setting them in an untidy pile. Hermione tittered nervously before she addressed Harry, "I think you need to talk to the Hufflepuffs."

"What?" demanded Harry, shooting cushions at a stunned Luna, who yelped, snapping out of her daze.

"Don't get upset," Hermione said, which was a sure way for Harry to get on guard, "but Zach has been a bit wary after your meeting with Voldemort last year and he's worried that your hotheaded. Of course, Ernie is sticking up for you, but those mentally unstable rumors hit hard and they're worried they might be put in danger."

"In danger?" Harry exclaimed. "I'm trying to prevent that, can't he see that? Can't he see?" he felt his voice raising despite himself, "I'm sorry. If I'm so dangerous, maybe we should just call the whole thing off!"

"Shhh, don't yell at me Harry," coaxed Hermione, "It's okay we just need to explain to them that that's all. They need to know. I know that it is hard for you but we need to keep the lines of communication open."

Harry felt like Hermione had taken a dig at him, "I said I was sorry!" he yelled.

"Mate," said Ron trying to calm him, "you have nothing to be sorry for."

"Right!" yelled Harry, "like you don't all blame me for your trip to the hospital wing last year!"

"That wasn't your fault," said Ginny, "we chose to go out there."

"Yeah because of me, it's always me that gets everyone into danger, Cedric, you guys, Sirius….." Harry couldn't finish as he got choked up and dropped to the floor, fighting not to cry in front of Neville, Ginny and Luna. Hermione dropped beside him consolingly as the others stood anxiously back.

"That's rubbish," said Luna between Harry's gasps for air, "it's almost like claiming nifflers are real."

"But they are," said Hermione momentarily distracted looking up at Luna.

"That's what the Ministry want you to think," she nodded and Harry was grateful for a moment to compose himself.

"It's partially true," said Harry.

"What?" said Hermione turning back.

"Not the nifflers, the Hufflepuffs. I have to fight Voldemort, and I'm not being hot-headed but I'm the only one who can!" Harry broke down and explained the prophecy Dumbledore had told him. "You see, this is my fight, I really shouldn't be putting everyone in danger."

"Harry," said Neville shaking his head. "Do you have any idea how conceited you sound? We are fighting Voldemort whether you like it or not. He's not just your problem, he never has been and never will be. You're not the only victim of Voldemort, and the Hufflepuffs have a right to know, and to fight. Don't think you're the only one that has been wronged? Prophecy or no prophecy, I'm not standing down to darkness because you'd feel better facing it alone. First off you'd lose, and second off, it's not your fight. It's all of ours - everyone who has been affected by Voldemort, everyone who believes in something that is good and everyone who wants a better future."

Harry was stunned, he looked up to meet Neville's determined face, the other boy of the prophecy. Ginny was standing next to him lip quivering yet resolved. "Yes Harry, we _need_ to fight too."

"Harry," Ron said kneeling down and patting him on the back, "no way are you doing this alone mate, we're in this together."

Harry just nodded acceptingly, and Luna took him by the hand to help him to his feet. The group stood together solemnly for a moment before leaving to face the music.

*****

Harry talked with Ernie during the week, sitting together in various classes to organise a plan. Hannah smiled at him gently yet Zach and the other Hufflepuffs were still standoffish.

Ernie met Harry at the entrance to the Hufflepuff commonroom. Harry's first impression was that it was warm and smelt like honey. The room was circular with a large group sitting together in the middle of the room. They were laughing and talking. A large Hufflepuff emblem hung over the fireplace and the walls were a sunny yellow. It was filled with plants - flowers were on the desks and trees in the entrances. The room that seemed to be alive; however, came to a sudden halt as people noticed his presence.

"What's he doing here?" asked Zach. Hannah was shouting up the stairs and the room was swelling as Hufflepuffs came down from the dorm rooms.

"I invited him," replied Ernie. "He has some things to say."

Zach raised an eyebrow but didn't push the argument, instead he joined the group of Hufflepuffs that had formed. Harry scanned the room and then he saw her. The blue shone from the crest of her coat and her face was relaxed and weary. Cho had got his message - she was sitting in the crowd - he wanted her to be with the Hufflepuffs for this. He owed her too.

He felt a nervous lump in his throat as he realised that Ernie was introducing him.

"Umm hi," he began, "I guess a lot of you have been hearing some things about me, and I have had people ask me about Cedric." He paused to look at Cho who had brought Michael Corner along and he was holding her hand. "Well, you have a right to know, and I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you sooner. The article in the Quibbler answered some questions but…." He knew that is was going to be this hard and so he paused and Ernie walked up with a stone bowl. Harry concentrated and pulled the memories from his mind and moved them with his wand into the bowl. They swished around and then settled in the penseive. Susan Bones had managed to borrow it off her Auntie, who worked for the Ministry. This pensive was one they used for trials, it projected the images like a rolling film. 

When Cedric came up on the screen the room gasped and Cho already began to cry. The two boys had just entered the maze and Cedric was wishing Harry luck. The Hufflepuffs watched Cedric and Harry battle the acromantula together and argue over who was going to take the cup. Harry hung his head in shame and the room collectively held it's breath as the portkey whizzed Harry and Cedric to Voldemort's side.

It ended when Voldemort rose from the potion and Harry turned it off quickly. Ernie was white, and for once, at a loss for words. Harry heard a soft sobbing at the back. He was unnerved - he had expected the blame, taunts for making Cedric take the cup with him. But none of the faces looked at him. Zach was crying openly rocking back and forth, Harry noticed when he looked up his eyes were full of compassion and a final sort of comprehension, like it was finally real. Harry hadn't even thought of what it was like for Cedric's friends and family to not know, to not understand or believe what was happening. For them Cedric had simply disappeared. Cho also looked at Harry and mouthed a quiet 'thank you'.

Harry was relieved he thought he would be the victim of accusations but the Hufflepuffs already had someone to blame - they had Voldemort and Wormtail. They were only looking for answers so they could grieve finally.

Ernie's voice was deathly quiet but it sliced the commonroom air like a razor.

"Kill the spare," he whispered, closing his eyes gently, the emotion still clearly visible on his face.

"Kill the spare," he said a little louder as he opened his eyes and Harry almost flinched at the powerful emotion in them. He stepped back as Ernie took Harry's place and addressed the group.

"Voldemort," Ernie spat, and Hufflepuff house quivered. Ernie composed himself and looked out at the common room gathering more courage at the sight of their frightened faces, his voice becoming increasingly louder. "Voldemort, will remember the day he underestimated us. Voldemort," each time he said the name it was spat like a nasty taste in his mouth, "Voldemort will know that Hufflepuff are not weak or stupid."

Zach nodded and wiped tears from his face.

"Why, if I were Voldemort," said Ernie "I would never write off a Hufflepuff, we are loyal and hardworking. He will remember the day he dismissed us, he will remember the day he made us his enemy."

The rest of the group gripped tightly on their chairs, nodding and murmuring in agreement, their soaked faces determined as Ernie spoke and Harry felt the power in the room. A sort of yellow glow, he could feel it radiate off him as he was swayed by Ernie's persuasion.

"He will remember our wrath," Ernie threatened, all but shouting the emotion in his voice meeting with the cheers of the common room. "He will remember his first mistake!"

"HE WILL REMEMBER CEDRIC DIGGORY!"

The Hufflepuffs cheered and someone began chanting "Cedric, Cedric!" soon the room was at their feet, waving their fists, united against Voldemort. Harry scanned the commonroom and noticed a small redheaded boy slip up to the dormitories. But Ernie had already pulled Harry up to him in a fierce hug. Harry was not used to contact and jolted. Ernie released him and was still chanting and leading the group wildly. Harry just realised he had made himself a very powerful ally.

****

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	9. Chapter Nine

****

Chapter Nine

When Harry reached the DA room next week, having finally shaken off the feeling someone was watching him, he noticed the group's numbers had swollen. Practically half of Hufflepuff house was present, ranging from first years, to seventh. Ravenclaws had increased too, Harry suspected Cho had been recruiting. Even a timid Marietta was present, biting her lip nervously while Hermione shot her filthy looks.

The meeting went well, but was cut short due to the houses need for Quidditch practices. Ron had the team training earlier and later than Oliver had done, but, as the Hufflepuff match was approaching they shifted themselves into gear.

"But Ron," whined Ginny, after getting hit by a bludger, "Hufflepuff is the simplest team."

"They have a new seeker," exclaimed Ron, gasping for breath after catching another quaffle, "and we can't let a match go down. Look at how much we have improved already!"

Lessons with Snape - both potions and occlumency seemed to have improved. Harry had gotten better at both, which meant, Snape had cut his sarcasm down to a minimum, but Harry noticed he was often not present at meal times or over the weekend.

*******

The most important event came half way through October. Harry had oddly gotten a moment to himself after studying with Luna in the library. He was heading back to the Gryffindor tower when he heard a soft song that lifted his heart. _The phoenix!_ The noise was coming from his pocket yet he remembered putting it back in his desk drawer. Ducking into a dark corner he pushed his hand into his pocket, to pull out the silver phoenix. However, as soon as he touched it he felt the familiar lurch of a portkey.

Harry landed with a thud! Remus pulled his crumpled form off the hallway floor of Grimmuld Place smiling at him.

"Hi Harry," he said.

"Get out!" screamed Sirius mother as people kept 'popping' in via portkey. 

"Scum! Traitors! Half-bloods! GET OUT!"

People were saying 'hello's' and quickly moving away from the picture. Remus steered Harry to the kitchen.

Mrs Black looked furious, "That boy - that half-blood! - He has the heritage watch!! Kreacher! Kreacher! Kreacher!"

Her calls to the dead house elf, however, were useless and Harry gripped the watch Remus had given him from Sirius nervously.

"Sorry about her," said Remus, closing the kitchen door. The room was full of people, all gathered around a table talking loudly.

"Haven't been able to budge her," said Mrs. Weasley, pushing through the crowd to Harry and Remus. She turned and smiled at Harry, gathering him into a big hug, "How are you, Harry dear?"

"Fine, thanks, Mrs. Weasley," he answered as he turned to sit at the table. Recognising more familiar faces he broke into a huge grin.

"Thanks Harry, so happy that you're glad to see us, Gred and Forge at your service," the Weasley twins bowed dramatically as Mr. Weasley shook his head and rolled his eyes, moving the group to the table.

Dumbledore started the meeting by welcoming the Weasley twins and Harry to the Order. Harry beamed proudly as people nodded their heads in welcome when Dumbledore said his name.

As soon as the greetings were over Snape was called to make announcements. He stood and the group turned attention to him. He lectured like he did in class, condescendingly, but Harry could almost hear a gloat in his voice as he delivered the information.

"The rest of the giants have joined him, yet they have not moved from the mountains. The Dark Lord is hiding in France with the Lestranges. I suspect that he will get the giants to join him as he is planning two great attacks. The first, I believe will occur on Halloween. He is angry as his attempts to rescue the others have been foiled," he paused, to sneer mockingly and Harry suspected that the Order had ruined those plans. "Thus he hasn't contacted the other Death Eaters yet, as he is trying to lye low, so his first attack will be impressive. He has always been one for dramatics."

"How do you know this if you haven't been called?" asked Arthur. Snape looked smug.

"From Mr. Lestrange himself - he has contacted me for potions," Snape replied. "It seems he lost his powers in Azkaban and has gone a little sour. Of course, I don't think he would ever turn against the cause but he has a loose lip, ever since Bella's, well, re-defined her priorities. She and the Dark Lord have been recuperating together it seems," Snape sneered luridly.

Snape's face however became expressionless after a severe glare from Molly who had jerked her head in Harry's direction as if Harry had been scandalised because he heard talk of Voldemort's "sexual relations".

The rest of the meeting went well. Kingsley informed everyone that he has been working on a spell to kill Dementors. Dumbledore and Fudge had met with the Muggle Prime Minister recently and Harry heard more about the two unsuccessful attempts to rescue Lucius and the other captured Death Eaters.

As people left Harry got to spend some more time with the Weasleys' and Remus who were living together at Grimmauld Place. The boys showed Harry photos of their new shop and Remus shared prank stories with the boys. For a change, it was even nice to hear about Sirius.

****

It was not nice, however, to play Hufflepuff the next morning. Harry got up noticing that the rest of Gryffindor had already walked down to the pitch. He threw his robes on without showering and rushed down to the field, tying his shoes on the way while his stomach grumbled, for want of breakfast.

"Harry!" Ron cried angrily when he saw him, causing Harry to run and meet the team. The stadium was already full - he could hear chants of 'Weasley is our king.'

"Where were you?" Ron demanded, "I couldn't find you all night!"

"Sorry," said Harry, but Ron shook off his apologies turning to the rest of the team. 

"Alright guys, remember the plays, remember to talk to each other, this one is ours!" Ron lectured he led the team onto the pitch. The roar was enormous - after a terrible Quidditch season last year the houses were frantic.

As Ron shook the other captain's hand, Harry tried to catch a glimpse of the Hufflepuff team's new seeker.

And there he was.

Mark Evans. He somehow looked even smaller in Quidditch robes. He gripped his broom and looked up at Harry. His face was flushed red from the cold, matching his bright hair. Harry smiled and tried to say something to him but the whistle blew and they were up in the air.

Harry buzzed around the Quidditch pitch quickly as he familiarized himself with the game and finally stopped above play so he could watch for the Snitch. Gryffindor had the Quaffle and were using one of Ron's plays to score the first goal in the first two minutes. Ron almost fell off his broom cheering and then started shouting out directions as Hufflepuff passed the Quaffle. Mark Evans was a good flier. He was ducking in and out of the players flying randomly about the pitch in search for the snitch. He was almost hit by a Bludger, but dived quickly out of the way and then floated to the top of the match to take an eagle position like Harry. Both teams were doing well, but the Gryffindor practices had paid off, giving them the slight advantage.

The Snitch, however, was particularly evasive this match. It was twenty minutes in before Harry caught his first glimpse. The Snitch was skating below Ginny's leg and Harry dived quickly, Mark in tow. Ginny caught the Quaffle and then looked up to see two seekers in full flight, targeting her. Harry watched as Mark caught up with him and then accelerated to be pull in front. Harry pressed himself closer to the broom, but Mark's light weight was an advantage and he stretched his hand his fingers about to grab the golden Snitch. Ginny shifted, however, and Mark ended up ploughing straight into her knee.

"Sorry," she exclaimed smiling, as Mark fought to stay on his broom.

"You did that on purpose," Mark said angrily, as the Snitch got away.

"Whoops," replied Ginny, laughing. Mark turned his broom fiercely and swept away in the other direction.

"Thanks Gin," Harry said.

"No hassle," she said, "watch out for him though, he's got an attitude problem!"

Harry laughed and flew off watching Mark's eyes speed about the pitch. The score was 50-20 to Gryffindor, due to Ron who had made some fantastic saves. Harry quickly set his mind back onto the match.

Harry spotted the Snitch again. Thankfully, it was only a short distance from him this time. He quickly bolted out and before Mark knew what was happening. He grabbed it, feeling it's wings beating against his fingers! Harry beamed! Gryffindor had won!

"Harry, Harry," the Gryffindor's cheered, and the stadium erupted with chanting. 

When the team landed, they all hugged laughing and cheering. Harry could see the stress hand prints still on Ron's flushed face.

"Thank goodness it's over," Ron sighed, as the team clapped him on the back.

The Hufflepuff's looked dejected but all came over to say congratulations - all - except Mark Evans. Harry saw the boy march off, red hair glowing as he stomped around the corner.

****

The elation from Quidditch ended when they returned back to classes, but especially when Harry told the others he was "suspicious" about Voldemort's plans for an attack. The subjects were grueling as mid-semester tests were approaching. The group had little time to speculate as they were piled with homework.

"It has to be on Halloween," whispered Hermione, who had already completed her assignment, during transfiguration.

"I agree," said Neville, "Gran always said he always planned his largest attacks then."

Ron glared at Neville, who quickly remembered that that was the day that Harry's parents were attacked.

Harry, however, just said, "I think your right, but there is not much we can do."

McGongall shot them a glare and they quickly returned to their boxes, which they were turning into pigs.

Suddenly there was a _bang!_ Draco Malfoy and the Slytherin's were covered in pig parts. The rest of the year exploded in laughter.

"Disgusting," said Hermione as she looked over at them.

"Honestly," exclaimed Ernie from a few rows in front, "it's a wonder how that boy passed his O.W.L.'s, he's a menace."

Ron and Harry were still laughing as they left the classroom. They followed the Gryffindors walking across the grounds to Care of Magical Creatures. Half way down the grass Harry stopped and turned around.

"What?" asked Ron, as he turned too. Harry had gotten that feeling that someone was watching him again. He looked around but there was no one there.

"What's he doing up there?" said Hermione as she pointed to the castle. Kingsley was staring out at the grounds from one of the castle tiers. "That's the third floor," Hermione continued, "it's unused and forbidden!"

"He's a teacher Hermione," Ron said exasperated, and hurried to catch up with the rest of the Care of Magical Creatures class.

Hagrid had already begun when they arrived, but he stopped to smile at them as they approached. In a cage behind him were the strangest creatures Harry had ever seen. There were two plummed, two-legged winged creatures with a serpentine body tearing into the flesh of a rat. They were about six feet in length.

"Can anyone tell me what these are?" asked Hagrid.

Hermione's hand flew into the air along with a couple of others.

"Theodore?" asked Hagrid, turning to the small Slytherin boy who did not have his hand up.

"Occamy," Theodore answered. His voice was soft, Harry hadn't ever heard him talk before.

"Correct! Five points ter Slytherin. Now, they're usually found in India but Dumbledore got these 'ere on a special permission from the Ministry. You see the Occamy are endangered because of their eggs like, you see these ones 'ere. They're a breeding pair, the female there is Mizzy and the male one is Oz, now if yeh bend down and see through there." Hargid pointed his finger into the cage. Harry was scared that the creatures would turn and bite it off, but they didn't, so he followed the direction and noticed twelve silver eggs sitting in the corner.

"Wow," breathed Neville, the eggs were quite pretty and glistered brightly in the midday sun.

"Tha's right, their eggs are the purest silver aroun', which makes 'em a bit valuable. Can anyone tell me the unique thing 'bout the Occamy?"

This time Hermione was the only one who raised her hand. Hagrid nodded at her to continue.

"They have the ability to read minds, which is where we get the term Occlumency from."

"Great Hermione, five points ter Gryffindor," Hagrid beamed.

"People didn' know tha' at first. So when the people were coming up ter take the eggs, even if there were right nice 'bout it, the Occamy would attack first. Aggressive like, and poisonous too, frightened wizards, but so long as you don't attack 'em like, or wanna do them or their babies any harm, then they are as friendly as ol' Fang here."

Hagrid's boarhound rolled over at the sound of his name. Hagrid then directed them to sit around the cage and draw pictures of the creatures to see if they could determine any interesting features. The class was going to make a project out of raising the eggs he explained.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, chose a comfortable spot near the corner of the cage. The pair stopped eating as the class surrounded them and oddly seemed to be posing.

"They know that we are drawing them!" Hermione exclaimed.

__

Smart girl that one, hissed Oz sarcastically, and Harry almost jumped back.

__

A parselmouth, exclaimed Mizzy keenly as she turned to face Harry.

"Hello," hissed Harry, ignoring the people who were looking at him strangely. "How are you?" he asked.

__

Cold, grumbled Oz.

__

We are fine, said Mizzy excitedly, _you are quite handsome._

Harry blushed.

"What she sayin 'Arry?" asked Hagrid and the class looked at him expectantly.

"They are a little cold," Harry said. Hagrid jumped up immediately to go and get another log for the fire he had burning near the cage. 

__

Ahhhh, said Oz, as he moved toward the fire.

__

Tell the Hagrid thankyou for helping us and protecting our eggs, Mizzy asked. Harry relayed the communication and this time it was Hagrid that blushed. "It's no problem," he muttered as he fiddled with the fire.

The rest of the class bombared Harry with questions to ask the creatures.

"Ask it what it thinks of Hogwarts!" exclaimed Neville.

"Ask it if Ron actually thinks," joked Hermione.

__

No, answered Oz, before Harry got a chance to ask and Harry roared with laughter. He told the class what the winged serpents had to say about their old homes, and convinced everyone that they were quite nice. Harry discovered that Mizzy was quite happy and chatty whereas Oz was a bit grouchy yet didn't mind being laughed at.

The class was over too soon and Harry hung back to say goodbye to his new friends. Hagrid beamed and offered that Harry and company to come over for lunch.

It had been a while since Harry and the gang had had lunch with Hagrid and Harry had almost forgotten how horrible Hagrid's cooking was as he politely pulled a hoof out of his stew.

"Now Harry," said Hagrid, after they had all 'finished' their stew. "I haven' given yeh yer birthday present yet."

Hagrid shuffled to his room and pulled out a small box. Harry recognized what was inside it immediately.

"An Occamy egg?" Hermione exclaimed as she looked over Harry's shoulder.

"Yep, thought you might like another familiar like, got special permission of Dumbledore, I did, great man Dumbledore. Yer see he came from the same colony as Mizzy and Oz but his parents were killed and the other eggs were stolen. An' seein' as you're a parselmouth and like….." Hagrid looked at Harry excitedly.

"It's a great idea Hagrid," he exclaimed as he touched the silver egg. It felt like silk and bent under the touch of his finger like a dragonfly on water.

"Wow," he said, and the others looked on enviously.

"Now, yeh'll have to keep it warm," Hagrid explained, "just keep it in the box inside and it should be fine. Not long till it hatches, maybe a day or two."

Harry promised to take good care of it and they bid their good byes to Hagrid. Shortly afterwards they were moving up to the castle for the next lesson. Harry nursed the box carefully, thinking of names each step of the way.

****

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	10. Chapter Ten

****

Chapter Ten

Harry had taken to checking on his Occamy egg in between lessons. He had settled it gently in a small box filled with tissues back in the warm Gryffindor tower. The rest of his classmates had awed over it, even Lavender and Parvati Patil seemed to like the little creature. Admiring its silver egg,

"You'll have to spin the silver into a bracelet once it's hatched," suggested Lavender.

The pair had also begun suggesting names. Most of the girls' selections had been just plain….. girly, but Harry liked Parvati's suggestion of "Garuda".

"It's from Hindu myth," she had explained, what's more it sounded like a blokey name.

****

He had been busy this week, and speculating on an attack he could do nothing to prevent. As he trampled out of his dorms on the mad dash between Transfiguration, where Draco made a fool of himself again, and Care of Magical Creatures when he skidded to a halt. 

The feeling of being followed hadn't left him since term had started. And now, he was trapped. Harry turned around nervously, reaching for his wand. Blocking Harry's path in the empty corridor were three menacing Slytherins.

***

Harry looked around quickly - but there was no one else there to help him.

"He's gonna get away again," said a shrill voice, and suddenly he was pushed back against the wall by something large.

"It's okay Potter, just don't scream," said a petite girl with curly black hair, and she seemed to sneer as she stepped towards him.

"What do you want?" demanded Harry, struggling to get to his wand but held tightly by 'the something', which he now recognised as Millicent Bulstrode. 

"Let him go, Millie," said another voice, and Blaise, a tall Slytherin boy stepped towards Harry. The boy was a good few feet taller than Harry and looked way older than 16. He had his long dark brown hair swept back in a ponytail, and wore a green bandana around his head, even though Harry remembered teachers telling him to remove it on several occasions.

"We just want to talk, Harry," said Blaise kindly, his Australian accent soft, as he put a gentle hand on Millicent's shoulder whose grip on Harry loosened. "I'm Blaise, this is Daphne and Millie."

"Umm, Hi," said Harry, now confused and nursing a sore rib.

"Sorry," said Millicent stepping back to give Harry more room.

"Let's step in here," instructed Blaise. The four of them stepped into an unused classroom. Blaise closed the door behind them and warded it. Harry was put on guard again, but didn't feel as threatened, as Blaise seemed more panicky than he did.

"I have Care of Magical Creatures," said Harry.

"We know," said Daphne sitting herself on a desk in the front row. Millicent stood next to her while Harry hovered nervously at the teacher's desk and Blaise still by the door. "It's the only time we could get away from Theo. We've been watching you, you're harder to get to than the Queen's jewels."

"It's okay," said Blaise turning back to them, "no one saw us."

"What's this about?" demanded Harry.

"Don't get cocky," said Daphne narrowing her eyes at Harry while Millicent rubbed her knuckles.

"Guys," admonished Blaise, and Daphne smiled guiltily. "Look Harry," said Blaise turning to Harry, "we have heard about DA and we were wondering if…..well……if we could join?"

That was the last thing Harry had expected and the shock must have been all over his face. "Join?"

"Not all Slytherin's are evil, you know," snapped Daphne, she seemed to have a very fiery aura. She stopped ranting as soon as Blaise glared at her.

"I want to join," growled Millicent, looking up at Harry from under her heavy features. For a second she reminded Harry of Mad Eye Moody. Harry looked closely at her determination and at the other two as well. He knew Millicent had acted with the other Slytherins last year, yet Daphne and Blaise seemed to have never associated themselves with Draco.

"Well, it's a group set against Voldemort," Harry began slowly, watching the three cautiously. Blaise shuddered at the name. "But, you're more than welcome to join."

The room sighed, as if suddenly free from all the tension that existed there beforehand. Harry nodded his head, mentally supporting his decision. In the classroom the three were far less threatening, even nervous. With the exception of Daphne who might have punched him had he declined.

"There are probably a couple of other Slytherins who want to join, too," started Blaise, "but, I thought we'd better check it out with you first. It's not really a good position for us to be in - openly supporting one side or the other. But, we're cunning enough to keep it quiet. And if you guys don't mind?"

Harry nodded, "We have had trust issues before, but, I am sure that they are sorted out now. You guys will be fine. We are meeting this Thursday at 6:30, so try and have dinner early. It's in the Room of Requirement - just go to the third floor corridor and think of DA and the door will present itself."

"Cool," said Blaise, and he de-warded the door.

"We'd better leave separately," said Daphne walking up to Blaise, "Harry should go, he is now way late for class."

Harry walked out the door first, but turned back when he heard a gruff, "Thanks." Millicent was smiling at him, while Blaise and Daphne nodded in silent approval.

"No problem," grinned Harry, and he ran through the corridors and down onto the school grounds.

****

The Care of Magical Creatures class was all formed in a tight circle around the newly hatched Occamy eggs. Hagrid didn't seem to notice, or ignored, Harry's lateness. Harry whispered to Ron and Hermione a quick, 'tell you later', as he settled in with the rest of the class.

The new babies were so cute and tiny with their little wings flapping experimentally as they wriggled up to their mother.

__

Congratulations, hissed Harry to Mizzy and Oz. Oz slithered forward, _Thanks_, he hissed proudly -for once not sarcastic.

Mizzy was looking at each baby excitedly, slithering between Harry's classmates who were holding her young gently. _Don't worry, soon you'll be a father too, Harry_.

Harry grinned, as he looked forward to his own Occamy hatching. Mizzy had recognised that he had been disappointed he missed the hatching of Mizzy and Oz's eggs.

After the class Harry was bombarded with questions.

"Where were you?" asked Hermione as they drugged up to school.

"Yeah, and what about the other night? You haven't been sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest, have you?" asked Ron.

"No," answered Harry, bewildered by Ron's accusation and then lowered his voice as his other classmates past him, "I was cornered by three Slytherins."

"Oh, Harry," exclaimed Hermione immediately concerned, "you have to report them!"

"No, it wasn't that," Harry replied quickly, and the three paused by the lake. "It wasn't Malfoy; it was Blaise, Daphne and Millicent - They wanted to join DA."

"What?" said Ron, "I hope you told them no."

"Ron!" Hermonie snapped, and glared at Ron, "I think it's fantastic, I was trying to think of a way to approach the Slytherins."

Ron looked as if Hermonie had suggested they go out with Fluffy. "They're Slytherins!"

"They didn't seem all that bad," said Harry, even if he was a little put off by the incident. "Anyhow, I already invited them to this week's meeting."

Ron shook his head at a loss, while Hermione grinned happily, "this is just great!" Together the trio walked up for dinner.

****

The next morning, Harry woke to hear a soft scratching sound. At first he wasn't sure what it was and tried to ignore it, but then he snapped up excitedly and looked into the box beside his bed.

"Ron! It's hatching!"

"What? Are you being attacked?" murmured a sleepy Ron.

"Is it?" asked Neville who wandered over in his pajama's to look at Harry's egg.

Sure enough, the soft silver egg was moving about and strands of silver flickered like soft hairs from the surface. 

"Wow," said Neville, "Ron, you should look at this."

The egg didn't hatch in rough jagged pieces like a chicken egg would; instead the silver seemed to unfurl at the creature's gentle beating. It took a couple of minutes before the outer shell had unraveled and then Harry began to give the creature a hand pulling at the silver thread.

__

Hello, hissed Harry.

The creature blinked. It was about 5 centimetres long and dark black, expect for the wings and eyes which were a shiny silver colour. It stood up ungracefully onto it's two little legs, and looked around at Harry and Neville's grinning faces, while Ron was stumbling over for a look in the background.

__

Hello, hissed the newborn.

__

I'm Harry, said Harry.

__

I'm Harry, repeated the creature.

__

No, you're Garuda, said Harry.

__

Garuda, hissed Garuda.

__

Yes, smiled Harry, and he picked the newborn up and tucked him into his cloak. The boys went down to breakfast where most of the students came to look at Harry's new pet.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" asked Seamus, mouth full of eggs.

"Umm…" answered Harry.

"It's a boy!" exclaimed Hermione.

Seamus picked up the little creature and flipped it upside down.

__

Ahhhh, he hissed, frightened.

"How can you tell?" asked Seamus.

"Honestly," said Hermione, taking the snake from Seamus; however, Harry was wondering as well. "The wing colour for starters, don't you listen in Care of Magical Creatures?"

"I try not to get attacked, mainly," said Seamus, reaching for the Occamy.

"I think that is enough excitement for the little guy today," said Harry, reaching for Garuda and he tucked him back in his coat pocket, out of Seamus' reach.

The new baby didn't seem to do much at all - he slept lots and ate lots. Harry was surprised at how fast the baby was learning the language - it didn't take long for Garuda to ask for food and by dinnertime he asked for sausage, and Harry had swore he'd never spoke that word to him before.

__

Of course he learns quick, hissed Oz sarcastically, when Harry went down to show off Garuda to Mizzy and Oz, _he can hear what you're thinking and saying_.

Garuda seemed to be quite adventurous, whenever he woke up in class he would slither to the end of Harry's sleeve and look out. However, in Defense Class, the creature tried to run away several times before Harry put him in his bag.

Classes were fun with an extra friend, even if Harry paid more attention to a sleeping Garuda than Professor McGonagall.

Soon enough Thursday rolled around and Harry was quite excited about the DA meeting. He skipped dinner to arrive early and set up the room. The group still liked to do practice drills with curses and counter-curses at each meeting, even though the dueling lessons were still going strong. Mainly it was the past years DA students helping the new ones and sometimes Harry would show them a new curse he had mastered. The demonstrations were over in Dueling Class and Kingsley had them on a roster - the DA group was leading the year, and the students from other years were saying how much it was helping them too.

Harry was surprised when the first students to show up were the Slytherins, closely followed by Hermione.

"Great to see you here," Hermione said, when she walked in and offered her hand warmly to the Slytherins.

"Thanks," said Daphne uncertainly and Blaise nodded.

"There is a parchment to sign that you will keep what happens in these meetings secret," Hermione instructed. The Slytherins signed without question.

As other students entered some cast questioning glances at the Slytherins but Hermione stood by them chatting away.

"Wow, there's so many people here," said Blaise to Hermione, as the majority had arrived. It was true - the group had expanded to about 50 people, and three Slytherins.

"Yeah," said an aggressive Ernie, "A lot of people don't think much of Voldemort."

"Good," snapped Daphne, "then we agree on something."

"What are they doing here?" asked Michael Corner pushing forward. Everyone had arrived and were now standing around the Slytherin's, like a Spanish Inquisition.

"Honestly, Michael," exclaimed Ginny, "I thought you were a Ravenclaw."

"Yeah, and they're Slytherins," Michael said, pointing an accusing finger at the three.

Daphne looked ready to boil and Millicent was growling. Insults started flying between the group - 

"What's wrong with that?"

"……didn't see you sticking up for me."

"What's wrong with that?"

"……didn't see you sticking up for me."

"Salazar Slytherin was the greatest of the Hogwarts four……"

"You can't trust a Slytherin….."

"Oh, and you're so great…."

"……evil the lot of you."

"I'm not a Malfoy…."

"No way, I'm not working with them……"

"What about Marietta?"

"Ambition is not a sin……"

"Did you even listen….."

"Narrow-minded!"

"……the Sorting Hat song?"

"QUIET!" roared the quiet-spoken Blaise.

Everyone dropped their hands and looked at him.

"Hi," Blaise said calmly, "My name is Blaise, this is Millicent and Daphne. I think if you got the chance to know us then you'd see we aren't all that bad."

"Everyone in Slytherin isn't evil," spat Daphne, "and if you gave us half a chance, instead of belittling us with same the prejudices that you're accusing us of having, then you might just see that. I will not have you shun me because I don't happen to act the same way you do. Just because I'm not in Gryffindor doesn't mean I'm corrupt or immoral. I for one am not happy about the way the Slytherin house has been displayed in recent times, and I'm here doing something about it. I come from a proud line of Slytherin families, as it is a noble house."

"And I don't come from a Slytherin family at all," said Blaise stepping forward. "My family moved here from Australia and ever since I was sorted I have been shunned because I have been stereotyped by you guys."

Most of the group looked guilty.

"You can't trust anyone," grunted Millicent, "people aren't good or evil because of what house they are in. Look at Mad-Eye. He was Slytherin and he's the greatest Auror ever lived. Look at Sirius Black, he was one of the Dark Lord's second in command and he was a Gryffindor."

Harry bit his lip at the Sirius remark, they didn't know, however, he understood the point Millicent was trying to make, and thought angrily of the betrayer, Wormtail - a Gryffindor.

"Look at the Dark Lord," whispered Michael to some of his friends, "he was a Slytherin." Daphne shot him a glare, but nobody was laughing. In fact, most seemed to have warmed up to the three.

"I'm glad you're here," said Hermione breaking the silence, "this is part of the solidarity that we are supposed to be working for."

"One of my uncle's is Slytherin," said Hannah Abbot.

"Mine, too," piped up a Ravenclaw girl.

"I'm sorry," said Ernie offering a hand which Queenie shook, "I may have overreacted."

The other Hufflepuffs followed Ernie's lead, and soon most people were apologizing and greeting them warmly. Some still looked suspicious and put out, but they had stopped a display of open hostility and might just take longer to come round.

Harry grinned as he told everyone that they were doing some practices and showed Millicent, Daphne and Blaise around the room. Daphne even demonstrated some rare curses she had learnt. They talked about gathering information and support, Hermione was quite pleased that they had people in the Slytherin dorms to try and get more information. All in all, the meeting was a success.

****

Review Suggestions

"Cheesy chapter, give us some action!!"

"Slytherins are the best and Blaise is a hottie!"

"sniffle…..you didn't pick my name!!!…..sniffle"

"A classical piece of modern literature, I especially like the juxtaposition of the light humour as opposed to the last chapter. The appeal to the senses of sight and olfactory, however, were somewhat lacking, as your descriptions seem on par with Le Carre's work rather than a more classical and powerful writer. I look forward to further exploration into the psyche of a young boy on the cusp of manhood with the imperative goal of saviour. How he must feel like Jesus Christ when he thought his God had abandoned him at the last. Peace be with you."


	11. Chapter Eleven

****

Chapter Eleven

Harry did not expect Garuda to be shy when he brought him down to Care of Magical Creatures. 

__

They are so much bigger than me, Garuda hissed, gesturing to the babies born a day before him, and he sheltered in Harry's robes.

And it was true. Mizzy and Oz had their hands full now with their babies quickly reaching adulthood. Theodore Nott looked at Harry suspiciously as Harry hissed to comfort little Garuda. Harry eyed Nott with a narrow gaze wondering what his problem was.

Another thing Harry noticed was Garuda's hatred of his Defence Against the Dark Arts class. Garuda always started squirming and tried desperately to leave the classroom.

__

No, Garuda hissed as they entered the classroom, after lunch.

__

I'll meet you upstairs, Harry, Garuda begged.

__

Why? Harry asked

__

The dark man, Garuda explained, his fork tongue hissing in the teachers direction.

__

Kingsley? What do you read?

He has only thoughts of indescribable terror, hissed Garuda, and without saying anything else he fled the room in uncomfortable flaps.

Harry watched Kingsley closely all lesson trying to decipher what Garuda meant. Kingsley went about teaching the lesson as normal; he was often quite reserved so he didn't seem to be acting of out character. Harry wondered what on earth Garuda might mean, but the baby snake was too frightened to explain further when Harry had questioned him that night. He pondered Kingsley, perhaps he would get a chance to talk to him later, or Remus. Kingsley was in the Order last time, Remus would know more about him and his cane.

Harry enjoyed having Garuda's insight, he often made Harry laugh when he explained the thoughts of those around him. Professor McGounagal ended up banning the Occamy from lessons. Harry managed to sneak Garuda into potions one lesson; to read Snape's thoughts or help him with the answers.

__

Nothing, Garuda hissed, after Harry asked him to read Snape's thoughts.

And when Harry looked up, Snape was staring at him with a raised eyebrow. 

****

"So, Potter, you have acquired yourself a little friend," Snape sneered, as Harry entered the dungeon for Occlumency practice that evening.

Harry lifted up his sleeve to where Garuda was wrapped around his arm as if to say 'what of it' and he turned and looked innocently at Snape. He was not going to act frightened of Snape anymore.

"Perhaps us humans aren't quite good enough company for you?" Snape continued to jeer.

"Some aren't," Harry retorted quickly.

Snape scoffed, "In any case, your friend here will be able to assist you in your Occlumency training. The Occamy are skilled Legimens, so you should be able to practice your mental blocking with him."

"So that's why he couldn't…." Harry trailed off realising he had just incriminated himself.

"Quite," Snape said, and was about to launch into a speech when they both heard the unmistakable sound of Phoenix Song.

Snape quickly pulled out his pin and looked at Harry to do the same.

"I left mine upstairs," Harry said sheepishly.

"Check your pockets, Potter," Snape demanded, rolling his eyes. Sure enough, his lapel was in his pocket.

__

Hmm, Harry thought_, it must stick with you at all times. How handy!_

He didn't have time to think more of it when he was port-keyed to Grimmuald Place.

******

"SCUM! HALF-BREEDS! FILTH! Oh, Professor Snape, hello," said Mrs. Black.

"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Black," Snape replied smoothly.

"What are you doing with that filth?" demanded Mrs. Black, referring to Harry who was still standing with Snape in the entrance hall.

"GET OUT, YOU DISGUSTING BOY!" Mrs. Black yelled at Harry, her life size portrait shaking in its frame.

"Come on, Harry," beckoned Remus from the dining room over the noise, where members of the Order of Phoenix were settling.

"WEREWOLF!" the portrait yelled.

Harry and Snape ran the length of the Entrance Hall to escape her. When Harry and Snape entered the dining room, Harry realised the Aurors were not present and the mood was somber. Even more so, that Fred and George were eerily quiet. Their freckles standing out against their pale, somber faces. Some members were whispering at the other end of the table but stopped as Dumbledore stood to address the group.

"There has been an attack." Dumbledore stated, and some were shocked. Most people, however, seemed to already know. Harry was immediately worried.

"At noon today, Lord Voldemort and six Death Eaters Apparated into Diagon Alley and started cursing shoppers and burning stores," Dumbledore explained.

Harry gaped in shock. The terror had begun, and in Diagon Alley. What he had feared was coming to pass. The Death Eaters and Voldemort had gained power. Mrs Weasley who was holding Fred and George asked, "How many?"

"Thirteen dead, several injured, the Ministry is yet to release a report." Dumbledore shook his head sadly, "It was pointless, they left before the Aurors even got there. The Dark Mark is still hanging above the scene. The Aurors are still working there, but Tonks was able to get a message to me. It seems Tom's reign has begun."

"They changed the day," spoke Snape, who had thus far remained quiet.

"He must know there is a leak," Arthur said worriedly, looking up to Snape.

The group was silent.

"Or," growled Moody, "We have one." His magical eye roved the room. Arthur shifted in his seat nervously and Harry looked at the faces of his friends around the room. Could anyone of them be a betrayer? He settled on dark thoughts of Peter Pettigrew and how he, a member of the Order, had betrayed them all. Leaving his Godfathers name tarnished. Harry wondered whom he hated more, Voldemort, Pettigrew or Bellatrix. Moody settled his gaze on Harry.

"Nonsense," said Dumbledore, "I trust everyone here explicitly."

"You're a trusting man," said Mundungus, aware of Mrs. Weasley's narrow gaze in his direction.

"Hold on one minute," interrupted Remus, "let's not get out of hand. What do we know of the attack? Who were the six if Severus wasn't called and the rest are still locked up?"

"That would be if they were still locked up," said Tonks breathlessly, as she busted through the door.

"Bellatrix went to the Ministry late last night. Somehow they didn't even realise the Death Eaters were missing until this morning," she rolled her eyes, "this is Fudge's doing; I'm sure of it."

Bill Weasley banged the table loudly, "This is just great!" he snarled sarcastically.

The table looked dejected, this was a huge blow to the Order.

Arthur spoke up quickly, "Well, we'll have to do the best with what we have got. Bill, do you think you can talk to the Goblins see what they know of the attack? After all, Gringotts remained safe."

Bill nodded, even though he had discussed the Goblins with the Order previously. They were unlikely to do any business with Voldemort.

"Good, good," said Dumbledore, glad to finally get some action, "Tonks, perhaps you could try and find out more information from the Aurors. The rest of you know your positions."

Tonks nodded and left as suddenly as she had come. Bill also stood to leave. Others broke off into smaller groups to talk. Harry noticed Snape grip his arm and turn to leave. He walked over to the Headmaster and they talked in low voices before Snape swept out of the Dining Room.

"What am I to do?" Harry asked Dumbledore, once most people left.

"Just stay safe and wait," instructed the Headmaster putting a friendly hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry was glad to be in the loop, he remembered last year when he would have been happy with a look from Dumbledore. Now the old man was taking the time to explain, "I know that it is hard, but….."

__

Duck, hissed Garuda suddenly.

Harry managed to just miss a red hex as it flew over the top of his head. Several Order members quickly drew their wands but Mad-Eye Moody was chuckling and he put his wand away.

"An Occamy," said Moody, as he moved over to Harry and the Headmaster.

Harry rolled up his sleeve to see where Garuda was still wrapped, quite upset at being fired at.

"Saw it in the meeting, good thinking Potter, play your strengths," Moody growled, and Harry remembered fake Moody once telling him the exact same thing. Dumbledore and Moody talked with Harry about Occamy before departing so that Harry could get a chance to talk with the Weasleys and Remus.

The twins were hunched together at the table still, their conversation quiet and urgent.

"Harry," they greeted him as he walked over.

"What's up?" asked Harry, sitting beside them.

"Our store," said Fred dejectedly.

"Burnt down," George finished.

Harry's throat dried up and he couldn't think of a thing to say. He settled with, "That's awful."

"Yeah," agreed Fred, shaking his head. Harry had never seen the boys so low. When Harry examined them more closely he could smell the smoke on their robes and see the black singes in their hair. The boys must have come close themselves.

"At least your okay," sniffed Mrs. Weasley, coming up from behind them and hugging them again. Harry suspected that she had been hugging them every chance she had got since the attack that afternoon. He was upset that the Weasley twins had lost their shop, and dampened their spirits, it all came back to Voldemort.

"Come on, boys, you have had a long day," Mrs Weasley coaxed, as she led the boys up to bed, giving Harry a kiss on the cheek as she left.

"Dinner, Harry?" asked Remus, who looked worse for wear. _Was the full moon approaching?_

Remus and Harry sat around the empty table and tried to make small talk, but the weight of the attack was heavy in the air. Harry, who at this hour was not hungry as he was beginning to get angry, just pushed his food around his plate.

Remus spoke, "this is nice. Um, having you here."

Harry nodded and felt guilty he was being so quiet. He looked up at Remus' tired face. "Yeah."

"So, how's the term been so far?" asked Remus.

Harry hesitated.

__

Answer him, Garuda hissed sounding oddly like Mrs. Weasley.

This alerted Remus to Garuda's presence. Soon they were talking about everything that had happened so far. Hermione's suspicion of Kingsley, DA, Occlumency lessons, and the pressure of the advanced subjects.

Harry was worried his speculations with the DA group about a Halloween attack. Perhaps there is a leak and they moved the attack up. Remus assured him that it is not the case.

"It's highly unlikely Harry, after all, anyone who has read about Voldemort's attacks can see his biggest aggressions have been on Halloween. As for Kingsley, well, I don't know him that well but he was in the Order last time and has been an Auror for good many years. I'll talk with Dumbledore about your concerns, you just worry about studying and Occlumency for now."

The two were getting along so well and it felt good to have someone to talk to. Remus was telling Harry about some of the things he was doing for the Order. Harry felt so much more involved. After the late dinner, however, Harry had to return to school.

***

The next morning was Halloween. This usually mean that the hallways were full of excited murmuring and chatter. However, as Harry descended down to the Great Hall for breakfast he noticed something was wrong.

The school was in a state of shock. The morning owl post had brought news of yesterday's Diagon Alley attack and Harry had to act as surprised as everyone else did. Student's families had been attacked and there were panicked muttering spreading the hall like a wildfire.

Classes progressed with increasing slowness and no one felt in the mood for Halloween celebrations or the Halloween Feast. For the first time ever the hall looked eerie with Hagrid's pumpkins and sweets, when the students were quiet and dejected with huge fears. Dumbledore had a moment's silence for the victims at Diagon Alley before dinner and talked about unity and the need to stand against Voldemort.

Harry nodded at Dumbledore's words and looked at Hermione and Ron with a shared sense of dread. Hermione suggested that the call an emergency meeting of DA, activating the charm and spreading the word at the feast.

As Harry entered the Room of Requirement he got angrier about the attack. He was tired of looking at sad faces. It was horrible enough seeing the Weasley twins, who Harry respected as happy go lucky friends dejected and now everyone else seemed to be throwing in the towel.

"I'm glad to see you're all here," Harry said abruptly, when the DA members had straggled in looking worse for wear.

"Nobody can deny that a terrible thing happened yesterday. But it just emphasizes the need for DA to continue and for us to spread. How many Death Eaters were there?" Harry asked aggressively, voicing the concerns that had run his mind all day.

"Six," answered Michael Corner.

"That's right!" exclaimed Harry, "And how many dead? Thirteen! It's outrageous! We have to learn to be defensive, after all there were about a hundred wizards in Diagon Alley that day and none thought to cast a binding spell or a stunning spell? It is about CONSTANT VIGILANCE! Everyone get a mat!" Harry ordered.

The group started scrambling at Harry's demand. He was hot-tempered with them and had them casting the spells they learnt last year with vigour. The new members were at a slight disadvantage but Harry barked directions at them all the same.

"Stop that stupid wand waving Ernie, you give your opponent time to attack!" Harry barked.

"Blaise, put some power into that curse!"

"You," he gestured to a young Hufflepuff, "What's your arm doing out there? Tuck it in, or you'll lose your wand." Harry snapped out directions irritably and he had them practising without any breaks.

Suddenly Professor McGonagall's voice appeared magically, as if coming from a loud speaker, "Would all students please return to their house dormitories immediately!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked around questioningly. It was still an hour before curfew. As the DA students filed out into the 3rd floor corridor they saw teachers and students running in every direction.

"Potter!" demanded McGonagall, coming up and looking at him and his students. "To the dorms quickly, there is an attack at Hogsmeade."

****

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	12. Chapter Twelve

****

Chapter 12

The DA students dispersed quickly running to their common rooms.

__

Another attack! And so soon, Harry thought, as he gripped the wand by his side.

__

Would they dare to come here? Would Voldemort dare to enter the school?

Harry suddenly remembered something and he quickly turned and ran in the other direction, trying to catch up with Professor McGonagall.

"Go on," urged Hermione, to the other Gryffindors as she backtracked after Harry, Ron in her wake.

"Professor," Harry called, and McGonagall turned around, tight-lipped.

"I told you to go back to your dorm room! There is nothing you can do," she cast a look over Ron and Hermione as well.

"The witch statue on the second floor…" Harry said breathlessly, trying to steady himself from the quick run, "it's a hidden tunnel that leads directly to Hogsmeade. Filch doesn't know about it."

McGonagall looked at Harry appraisingly, "I'll see that it gets looked at."

***

When Harry, Hermione and Ron had returned to the Gryffindor common room, Harry was sure that Ron would yell at him for exposing the tunnel, and Hermione would snap at him for taking out his anger at the DA members. Instead, they both surprised him.

"Good meeting today, Harry," Hermione said, "You acted like a real leader."

"I'd completely forgotten about the witch's hump, and You-Know-Who's sure to know it, thanks to that rat!" Ron wheezed, slightly out of breath from the run.

Harry was surprised at their maturity, well Ron's at least. He supposed they were growing up. Harry wasn't used to going to the teachers, or going to anyone, really. He had taught himself at a young age not to seek out the help of adults. Yet now, being part of the Order, growing up, he realised that it was the best option. He prayed that everything would be alright - even though he knew full well, it wouldn't. Somehow being older wasn't all it cracked up to be, but he'd be damned if Voldemort attack them here.

The night was long and frustrating. A war was raging only a short distance from them and there was nothing they could do but wait. Harry and the others sat up in the Common Room exchanging glances. Classes were cancelled the next morning as students filed into the Great Hall bleary eyed and nervous, waiting for news of the attack.

Blaise ran into him roughly on the way into the Great Hall.

"Watch it, Potter," Blaise snapped, scowling at Harry, as he almost fell backwards. Blaise walked off with the other Slytherins.

__

That was odd. Harry thought rubbing his shoulder and making his way over to the Gryffindor table.

It was only when he was seated that he noticed Blaise had slipped him a note. He pulled the parchment out of his pocket and soothed it flat.

"Look at this," Harry whispered, and the heads of Ginny, Neville, Ron and Hermione bent in close toward him.

Blaise had scribbled on the parchment, _Missing Slytherins last night: Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, and Karl McLuber._

Harry looked up at the Slytherin table, Nott and Malfoy sat together with Crabbe and Goyle looking like nothing had happened. Karl McLuber, a seventh year Harry didn't really know, sat a few seats further down. He looked worse for wear however, and was sporting a giant gash down the side of his face. _Had they been at the attack?_

"Snape wasn't here at all last night, either," Ginny confided and Neville shivered, "I noticed him leave before dinner."

Harry didn't want to go further into detail here where they could be overheard, he burnt the parchment and settled on having some breakfast seeing as he didn't get a chance to eat much last night.

The morning owls flew in bearing news, and Hermione opened her Daily Prophet. She gasped and put the paper down, allowing Ron and Harry to read the paper as well:

****

  
Another 24 Dead - Hogsmede Report

__

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers, known as Death Eaters, last night stormed the all-wizarding village of Hogsmeade. The tragic loss of life, including well-loved Rosmerta Reyes, proprietor of The Three Broomsticks, and her father, Miguel Reyes, has come as a shock to local residents. The popular and strong anti-You-Know-Who supporters were attacked and tortured in their pub. The damage, however, was spread far greater out of Hogsmeade as close to sixteen giants stormed the village and surrounding Muggle areas, leaving twenty-two Muggles dead in the attacks.

The majority of the victims were from the two large surrounding Muggle villages, which were ravaged by giants and Death Eaters. While the giants fought primarily among themselves their desire for destruction was brutal. The Hogsmeade village is all but destroyed and the Dark Mark hung eerily close to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

The Ministry of Magic, today, was unable to comment on the Hogsmede attack or the presence of giants but is currently working in connection with the Muggle Prime Minister about the attacks and assures the safety of Hogwarts School. This is the second attack in two days and the Prophet fears that this is the beginning of a terrible war. More on page three.

The article made Harry sick to his stomach. This was too much to handle in as many as two days. How long was it before he had to fight? How much longer could he let this continue? Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna had told him that this was not his fight, but wasn't he the only one who could take down Voldemort? He wanted to run off now, kill him now, the anger passed through his veins.

__

But could you? A voice asked in the back of his brain.

Could he? He couldn't hold the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix. What made him think he could take on and kill the Dark Lord?

"Why are they attacking Wizarding places?" asked Neville, interrupting Harry's thoughts, after the group had finished reading the paper.

"They're just fear mongering," Hermione answered, folding the paper and looking stricken. Ron looked pale, he was quite fond of Madam Rosmerta.

"Madam Rosmerta," Ron whispered, "this is awful." The mood was the same across the tables. Even the Slytherins were subdued.

__

Probably tired from attacking Muggles last night, Harry thought angrily. He wanted to punch the smirk of Draco's face next time he saw him.

__

Wait, spoke his voice of reason,_ that's not right, look at Blaise, he is helping you._

Harry suddenly heard the sound of Phoenix song, and looked at the others who were oblivious. He looked about the hall nervously.

"I have to go," Harry said jumping up.

"Where?" asked Ron.

"I…um…just want some time to myself, is all," Harry lied convincingly.

Ginny looked at him with pity and Harry slipped from the hall, running down till he could push himself into an empty classroom, he checked around him before grabbing the portkey and popping away.

****

Ignoring Mrs. Black, Harry pushed straight into the Dining Room where Mrs. Weasley was fussing over a beat-up Hagrid. Hagrid kept pushing her arm away as she tried to put salve on the large wounds that were weeping green on his face. Harry remembered that Hagrid was in the Order, but hadn't seen him at any other meetings. Tonight he looked awful and Harry went over to sit next to him.

Snape glided into the room, followed by Mad-Eye and Kingsley. Harry didn't have the chance to ask questions, because everybody settled at the table as Dumbledore told them about the attack. Dementors had also been there, he told them, but it had been kept out of the papers, Fudge had tried to stop the reporting of giants as well but they were too large to cover up as people had seen them for miles. 

Dumbledore, like Harry in DA, was more urgent and demanding than Harry had ever seen him. Twinkle-absent, he directed the Order members to do different tasks. Most members were called to discuss what they knew and their certain advancements. Snape informed them of the upcoming Christmas initiations. He told them that these were going to be quite large as the fear mongering has been aimed at certain people. Snape informed them that he was left out of the Halloween and Diagon Alley plans, yet was called to attend last night.

"Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott and Karl McLuber were there, too," piped up Harry, and he was targeted with Snape's appraising angry gaze.

"How do you know?" asked Dumbledore, looking quite proud of Harry, the twinkle returning to his eyes.

"I have my sources," Harry replied smoothly.

"Can't we use the initiation as an opportunity to plant more spies?" asked Tonks.

"Unfortunately not," said Dumbledore softly, and Snape sat down beside him. "You see, the charm Voldemort uses at initiation ensures that the Death Eater means his vow."

Mad Eye Moody bared his teeth at Snape.

"You have to pledge your allegiance to the Dark Lord, thus we can't have a spy turned Death Eater, we have to wait for a Death Eater turned spy," explained Snape with no hint of embarrassment, however certain people regarded him more cautiously.

"I believe that there will be at least fifteen new Death Eaters. I know that there are three from the Ministry, quite high up and close to Fudge," Snape continued with his report, Harry noticed he was looking away from the Weasleys, Harry quickly dismissed the idea of Percy turning to the Dark Side. While Percy still hadn't reconciled with his family he was no Death Eater. "There will also be seven Hogwarts students, those I have identified are Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Theodore Nott, Draco Malfoy, Roger Davies and Karl McLuber. The five others include Quidditch player Dalglash O'Hare, retired Matt Jugson, Merwyn MacDougal, herbologist Honoria Notcombe and Leticia Reyes."

The final name was surrounded with a gasp. But Harry was still reeling over Roger Davies. Roger was the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain and was on friendly terms with Harry.

"Rosmerta's sister?" exclaimed Molly Weasley.

"It seems her sister and father were killed quite brutally. She has been threatened to join. If she passes initiation, she could be a subject to bend for spy work," Snape finished.

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said, placing his old hand over Snape's long thin pale one.

"Mundungus?" asked Dumbledore.

Mundungus had some information that Lord Voldemort is looking underground for a diviner crystal. Dumbledore smiled serenely and said that he had one for sale. Bill Weasley was going to look into some curses he could plant on it. Charlie Weasley had sent word that he is prepared with muscle and dragons, for large battle whenever they get the go ahead.

Harry was given his first job, which, was to work with Kingsley at the school on the spell to kill dementors. Harry swallowed nervously, he had worked with Kingsley before term started, doing defence training and so forth, but that was before Hermione started her anti-Kingsley campaign. Now Harry was quite worried.

"_Be careful_," whispered Remus, "and always wear your watch."

Harry nodded and left with Kingsley, Dumbledore, Snape, Hagrid and McGonagall back to the school.

Hagrid shuffled down the corridor without saying goodbye to Harry, which he thought quite odd, so he arranged for Hermione, Ron and himself to go down for tea the next day, as it was a Saturday.

****

Hagrid was in no better mood when the three arrived on Saturday morning. In fact, if possible, he looked worse. He was limping and his face was looking quite green. Fang even hid from Hagrid.

"What happened to you?" exclaimed Ron without any tact as soon as he saw him.

"Nothin'" Hagrid said, falling into a chair that made his whole cabin shake.

"Um…is it Grawp?" asked Hermione. It was the wrong question, because Hagrid burst into tears. He was sobbing uncontrollably and Hermione quickly rushed to his side.

"Little blighter," wailed Hagrid, "he was so small."

Harry and Hermione exchanged worried looks.

"When we heard o' the attacks we wen' down to Hogsmeade," Hagrid explained, pulling a large handkerchief from his pocket and wiping his face miserably.

"Anyways, Grawp was trying to fight the others, but they were just too big. Some o' his friends joined him, but they turned on each other and there was nothin' I could do. I should ha' never o' brought him back, I shouldda listened to Firenze." Hagrid broke into fresh sobs.

"But Hagrid," said Hermione, "it can't possibly be your fault. He was making so much progress too, did Harry tell you how he saved us at the end of last year?"

"No," Hagrid mumbled.

"Well, he did," said Harry nodding.

"I knew he was a noble 'eart," shuddered Hagrid in a fresh bout of tears, "he was trying to stop 'em. We were making progress with some of his friends. Moved 'em out of tha towns. 'Course there's not many left now if there? Ministry got in and was helping to kill 'em," Hagrid growled, "Nearly killed me too."

"How did you make it back?" asked Ron incredulously.

Hagrid seemed to calm with deep breaths and actually managed a weak smile, "Beaky! You wouldn't believe it. He just appeared outta the sky. Course, I didn't want to leave but I would have been killed for sure, Beaky just grabbed me without a second glance."

******

After talking more with Hagrid, Ron and Harry along with some other Gryffindors marched up to watch the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Quidditch Match. 

It was an oddly rough game for the most passive teams. Harry supposed that students were throwing themselves into the game to exhort the nervous tension that had enveloped the school lately. Harry watched the Ravenclaw captain Roger Davies nervously given the new information, _could he really be in league with Voldemort?_

The seekers were having a particular dirty match. Mark Evans grabbed on the end of Cho's broom and often flew straight at her so she would have to duck or get thumped, even when the snitch was not in sight. Madam Hooch, however, missed all this as she was watching the chasers that were playing with the same tactics. It was Mark Evans that finally caught the snitch. He grabbed it right from Cho's side, Harry watched as Mark Evans zipped across the Quidditch field and barged roughly into the Cho. Even from the stands you could hear the crunch of bone. Mark grinned, maniacally holding the snitch triumphantly in the air. The rest of the crowd however was watching Cho nervously as she looked as if she were about to fall off her broom. She managed to steadily land and the other players all landed behind her.

Harry and Ron quickly ducked out of the stands to check if Cho was okay. On the pitch was a mini war. Mark Evans was gloating rudely at the Ravenclaws.

"Hey kid," growled Ron, going up to Mark to give his two cents, but Mark looked up seeing Harry and Ron approach and quickly retreated into the change rooms.

"Come here," called Harry, pointlessly, Mark had already gone.

"Did you see that?" Cho exclaimed to her boyfriend Michael Corner, who looked fit to go and punch Mark Evans.

"That little shit," said Roger, coming up with the rest of the Ravenclaw team.

"Owww," wailed Cho, and Michael jumped back guiltily.

"Are you okay?" asked Harry stepping forward, Ron was still looking in the direction of the change rooms.

"I think I've broken my arm," Cho said cradling her hand cautiously.

"Don't let Lockhart near it," Ron joked, rounding in on the conversation.

Harry laughed and explained to the Ravenclaw team about his bones disappearing in second year. Cho tried to laugh through a grimace as she hobbled off toward the infirmary. It was then that Ernie McMillian stormed out of the Hufflepuff change rooms looking furious.

"I can't believe it!" he exclaimed, and Harry and Ron went over to him to find out some information. Ernie wasn't on the team so Harry had wondered what he had been doing in the change rooms.

"What's happening, Ernie?" asked Ron.

"That Mark…." exclaimed Ernie furiously, "they won't throw him off the team….Hufflepuff has never been quite good at Quidditch, but if I thought we had to play that way…..Understandably a lot of us are outraged, I have just been speaking with the captain. Once he hears from the house he'll change his mind!" 

"The game was a bit rough," Ron admitted. Harry was quite shocked at the reaction to the war was having on people. Even Quidditch had aggressive and anxious undertones - the upcoming Gryffindor-Slytherin match was going to be brutal.

"Well, mark my words," said Ernie, "we'll have people looking after that boy. Fair play and hard work is our motto. Don't know how the little runt got sorted here."

Ernie marched off angrily and Harry and Ron were left under the bleachers. 

"You know what this means?" asked Ron.

"No," Harry shook his head.

"We are a shoe in for the Quidditch Cup!" Ron and Harry walked back up to the dorms while Ron went over all the possibilities of Ravenclaws loss. He scheduled grueling practices every day that week.

***

Each morning people looked to the owls, it seemed more students had taken out a subscription to the Daily Prophet. They watched as the papers were delivered. There were some random Muggle attacks but it seemed as if Voldemort was regrouping for his next attacks. When classes started up again Harry was watching the students more closely, especially those that were being initiated in the Christmas holidays, which were steadily approaching.

Malfoy was acting much more arrogant, now his father had escaped. The boy made no move to hide his loyalty and it was quite sickening. Harry made sure that DA members were tailing him so he couldn't pick fights with students. Theodore, however, unnerved Harry because whenever Harry looked up to watch him, he was already looking at Harry. Harry caught snippets of Blaise and Daphne arguing about him in DA but when Harry came over they had stopped.

It was in Care of Magical Creatures, however, that Harry was quite shocked.

__

Tell Daphne he is sorry, hissed Garuda.

Harry got to spend the whole lesson with Garuda, other students were working with Mizzy and Oz's young but Harry already had a Occamy to tend for. Hagrid was oddly silent in class but didn't look as if he were about to burst into tears again. Eventually he just sort of walked off and left the class to their own devices.

__

What, asked Harry

__

He's sorry, repeated Garuda, _he wants me to tell you_.

Harry wondered whom Garuda was talking about. When he looked up he was met with the gaze of the stringy Slytherin before he dropped back into his work.

  
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	13. Chapter Thirteen

****

Chapter Thirteen

Harry tried to catch Daphne to pass on the strange message, but the Slytherins, like he had been, were difficult to catch alone.

Finally, he spotted her as she passed the girl's bathroom. Harry's arm reached out and snatched her.

"Hey," she cried, and then noticed who it was and stopped resisting. Harry 'shh'ed her and checked that no one had noticed Daphne's disappearing act. 

"What do you want Harry," she said impatiently, "this is a girls bathroom!"

"Yeah, it's Moaning Murtle's," Harry explained, "no body will come in here."

Moaning Murtle herself however burst out upon hearing voices, "Who's that!" she shrilled, as she gestured to Daphne, "You're bringing your girlfriend here! Of course, you don't even think about my feelings! Didn't visit me once last year!"

Murtle shrieked and launched into tears before diving into a toilet bowl before Harry could explain.

"Friend of yours," Daphne smirked.

Harry just grinned, "yeah, sorry."

"What's all this about Potter?" Daphne asked, her fiery eyes settling on Harry.

"Theodore Nott."

She seemed startled for a moment but quickly regained composure and tried to brush over her distraction, "yeah," she sounded bored, "what about him."

"He asked me to give you a message," Harry explained, "well, not me exactly, Garuda." Here Harry had to explain all about Occamy as Daphne didn't take Care of Magical Creatures.

"Anyway," Harry continued, "he told Garuda, to tell me, to tell you, that he is sorry." When Harry said it, it sounded stupid but Daphne didn't think so instead she looked uncharacteristically fragile.

"He's going through with it," Daphne said, her composure broken and tears welling around her normally fierce and powerful eyes.

"Sorry," said Harry, speaking whatever came into his mind, he hated to be the messenger of bad news.

"Blaise was right," Daphne said, more to herself than to Harry and she wiped her face roughly. It took her a moment to compose herself. But when she did her round soft face was expressionless. It was quite frightening.

"Sorry Harry," she said, "I should have told you sooner, but I didn't want to think……and then Blaise wanted me to tell you……but I couldn't….." she was rambling.

"Tell me what?" asked Harry.

"Theo's taking the Dark Mark," she whispered, her body trembling a little. Harry bit his lip, of course, he already knew but he couldn't say that.

"How do you know?" asked Harry.

"Well, I wasn't sure. You see his father is a Death Eater and ever since You-Know-Who returned he has been under so much pressure. But, he's not like the others; really," she pleaded, "his not like Malfoy at all. I tried to get him to think about it but all last year he started hanging out with Malfoy and then this year, he has been ignoring us; me, Blaise and Milly; completely. I don't think he really wants to but he thinks he's got no choice."

"I'm really sorry," said Harry.

Daphne shrugged, she was at a loss and made move to leave the bathroom, "Thanks Harry," she said from the door, "thanks, for letting me know." She dropped her head and disappeared through the door.

****

Harry watched Malfoy and Theodore during Transfiguration feeling like he had lost one. The two seemed to be getting along swimmingly. Harry wondered if inviting the Slytherins into DA last year could have helped avoid this. Theodore was transfiguring Malfoy's rat while McGoungall's back was turned.

Seamus leaned over and followed Harry's gaze. "Cheaters," whispered Seamus, "I know why they're doing it now though." 

Harry was confused, _what?_

Seamus was trying, not so well, to contain a chuckle, "Blaise was telling me in DA that Snape had to bribe McGoungall to get Malfoy into the class. Apparently he got a Dreadful as his transfiguration OWL."

Ron who was listening nearby burst into a fit of giggles, even Hermione looked smug. McGoungall quieted them down with a gaze and Harry shifted uncomfortably. So that's how he managed to get into Potions. Harry flushed beat red and turned to transfigure his rat, it seemed Snape and McGoungall had made an agreement.

****

Speaking of Potions, it was dreadful. Snape was piling stuff on them for the holidays and Harry and Hermione were doing extra study time. But with Quidditch Practices, DA and Occlumency, Harry had no time to breathe. At each mealtime he looked up to Kingsley wondering when they were going to begin their assignment for the Order.

Snape also seemed to be setting a new prerequisite for cruelty. He was brutal to Harry in class, giving him failing grades for potions he knew he had done right and constantly sniping. Harry wasn't looking forward to the Occlumency lesson, but he had been practicing with Garuda.

"_Legilimens_," Snape hissed at Harry, as soon as he had entered Snape's office that evening.

Harry quickly let his emotions slacken and built up a quick resistance.

"Yes Professor?" said Harry, for the first time unaffected by the curse. It felt as if his ears were ringing, but he was able to keep his memories private and the room in complete focus.

Harry felt like cheering but he supposed that would make him lose his concentration. He had done it, completely thrown off Snape's curse!

Snape put his wand down and looked at Harry scowling.

"It took you long enough," Snape snapped, "finally we can move on to creating memories."

Harry spent another awful lesson with Snape barking at him and was glad to retire to the Gryffindor common room.

Hermione was there to offer him the proper congratulations, "You threw it off entirely?" she asked again.

"Wow Harry, you must be great because Professor Snape is a master and it takes _years_ of practice. Hardly anyone can do it." Harry for once let himself feel proud and thanked Garuda for all his help.

*****

Harry was dreadful at lying, especially to his friends. While, he could now hide his thoughts and emotions from external penetration, he still had the utmost difficulty in concealing guilt as he told another fib to Ron, dashing off to the "library."

He pushed his way up into the forbidden third floor corridor. Kingsley had arranged to meet with him last week and the two had already met in the Defense classroom to discuss theory. Harry wanted to get straight into action as he disliked the study. And, Dementor attacks had been occurring in small Muggle towns all over the UK.

Dementors, who had now joined Voldemort, and whose terror was unparalleled, were, thus far, impossible to kill. The Patronus Charm, the only known defense against Dementors while named corporal for its form, was anything but. The form of the Patronus was not solid or able to attack Dementors, rather it shepherded them out of the way, protecting the caster, who is unable to fight once a Dementor comes close. 

So, what Harry and Kingsley needed to do was to build a charm that protected the caster so that they could fight the Dementor and a spell that could be cast to kill the Dementor.

Kingsley had explained Harry's involvement, "The headmaster tells me that your Boggart form is a Dementor, we can practice on that, although we have one Dementor trapped here, the headmaster is avid we remove it. Not only that, but you have shown strong ability with the Patronus Charm." Harry had never tried to create a spell; it seemed more like something Hermione would be good at but he looked forward to being able to practice.

__

Finally, I can help, he thought, as he waited patiently for Kingsley in the in the room that once held Fluffy.

Kingsley entered and Garuda flew out of the room. Literally. He had been getting better at flying and although couldn't do large distances, it was difficult to maneuver a serpentine body, he was improving. Garuda hissed threateningly at Kingsley as he left the room, the Occamy was still unable to be in the same room as Kingsley.

"Harry," Kingsley greeted, in his smooth round voice as he entered the room, ignoring the fact a flying snake had threatened him.

"Hi," Harry said meekly, without the familiar weight of Garuda he felt somewhat naked - _could Kingsley be trusted?_

Kingsley pulled the trapdoor open and Harry moved over to peer down it. 

"There's devil's snare below," Kingsley started to explain.

"I've been down here before," Harry said, failing to hide a rather cheeky grin.

Kingsley smiled - his teeth looked bright white, a stark contrast to his dark face. The two jumped down the trapdoor and Harry landed with a familiar thump. To help him relax he rekindled memories of his adventures with Hermione and Ron down this trapdoor, at the time they were terrifying, but now, they were happy memories. He was still smiling, as he the plant loosened and he was able to step out of it.

Kingsley was waiting for him. They walked through the corridor that used to have the keys in it, there were still the three brooms hovering in the air. Harry wondered it they would have to catch something else this time. But Kingsley just walked over to the door and using his knobherrie, whispered a charm in a language that wasn't Latin or any other language Harry recognised to open the door.

The large chamber was empty of chess pieces and felt oddly cold. The chess board still remained and Harry traipsed over it with Kingsly to two large boxes that were on the other side. They were both bolted with a large gold combination lock.

"Muggle lock," Kingsley said, answering the unasked question, "there is a Dementor in this box. He is not happy, it will be a kindness in killing him. In the other is the Boggart."

"You battle down here by yourself?" Harry asked, the broad empty space seemed very eerie and Harry felt his hand wrap around his wand. Kingsley nodded.

"Lets first deal with the Boggart," Kingsley said, and he undid the combination. Before opening it he looked to Harry to explain, "okay, I have three new spells to try. Like we were discussing yesterday, the Patronus charm is not solid enough to expel a Dementor, so by adding a solidifying spell into the Patronus we should be able to create a solid creature to fight the Dementor."

Harry had a sudden image of a solid broad silver stag stomping on top a Dementor.

"Let's do it," he said, gathering happy thoughts into his head.

Kingsley whispered a spell and a jet of red light hit the box. Harry couldn't see anything as the box was dark. Suddenly out stepped a large figure covered in black. Harry remembered none too fondly his previous experiences with Dementors - but this time - something felt wrong.

His body was still heated; there was no blast feeling of unhappiness, instead fear ripped through him. 

__

Was this a test? The creature in front of him looked like a Dementor, tall, black, and hidden under Dark robes.

Forgetting the new spells Kingsley had taught him, Harry panicked, "Expecto Patronium," he called, and a shaky silver stag emerged from the end of his wand. The creature in front brandished the stag with a thin white hand.

Harry panicked, stumbling backwards.

__

Dementors can't do that? Where was Kingsley?

Then, he heard it.

A laugh.

A high-pitched maniacal laugh.

A laugh that sickened him straight to his stomach.

The pale hand battered the hood down. Voldemort was smiling, wand drawn. 

__

I've been tricked! Harry tried to run and felt Voldemort's curse shoot just past him. He pushed past Kingsley who tried to stop him and ran. He ran so fast it hurt. Surprised he had the sense of mind to grab a broom he flew out the trap door, dropped the broom and bolted down the third floor corridor. 

He didn't stop till he got to Dumbledore's office. 

"Sugar quill! Lemon drop! Caramel!" Harry shouted sweets at the phoenix that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"Harry?" Dumbledore asked, as the door swung open. The old man stood, dressed in long pale blue robes looking anxiously at Harry.

"Voldemort…..here…..Kingsley in on it……supposed to be a Dementor…..third floor," Harry spoke quickly, clutching his side, out of breath.

"Slow down Harry," Dumbledore said, his face worried, "tell me what happened."

"No time," Harry argued and grabbed the headmaster's hand. The two of them walked back to the third floor. Harry had his wand out in front of him, guiding the headmaster and full of panic.

__

How did Voldemort get onto the school grounds? He should have listened to Hermione. Kingsley was working for the dark side.

Kingsley was clamoring out of the trapdoor when Harry and Dumbledore reached it.

"Harry," Kingsley said, as he pushed himself up.

"Don't even think about it Death Eater," Harry growled, wand drawn, he turned to the headmaster to gather his support, "he's working for Voldemort, he brought him onto the school, he is trying to trick us!"

"No," was all Kingsley said in his defense and he shared a meaningful look with the headmaster.

Dumbledore turned to Harry and said softly, "I don't think Voldemort is here."

"He is!" demanded Harry, "I saw him! And Garuda hates him." Harry pointed his finger at Kingsley angrily.

__

Was this a bad joke?

"It was the Boggart headmaster," said Kingsley softly. Dumbledore put a soft hand on Harry's shoulder.

"It's okay Harry," the headmaster was saying but Harry couldn't hear him. He was in shock.

__

The Boggart? But, my Boggart is the Dementor! I fear Dementors.

But do you? A nasty little voice whispered. He knew how to tackle a Dementor now. He could protect himself against that. And, the face of Voldemort swam through his memory. Harry shuddered. Could he protect himself from Voldemort when the time came? _Neither can live while the other survives._

He knew Kingsley was right. He was shuddering, and felt so young, only sixteen and having to burden this. No wonder the headmaster was upset.

"……it's alright to be afraid," Dumbledore was still whispering softly, holding Harry in a hug. Harry tried to stop the tears from forming at corners of his eyes, his face hidden in thick pale blue fabric.

"Sorry," he said, dropping his head down in shame and stepping out of the hug, "I feel so stupid. I shouldn't have run off like that, what kind of Gryffindor am I?"

Kingsley laughed softly, "you think bravery is about not having fear?" he asked, and when he spoke again his voice was soft and melodious. "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." 

The soft vowel sounds echoed through Harry and he struggled not to cry.

  
"Come on," coaxed Dumbledore, and the three headed toward the door, "I think everyone needs a hot chocolate."

****

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	14. Chapter Fourteen

****

Chapter Fourteen

"I guess," Harry said quietly, turning the large ceramic mug around in his hands and swallowing nervously, "that I wasn't really ready."

Kingsley had not accompanied them up the circular staircase to Dumbledore's office. And hot chocolate in hand Harry had settled in one of the chairs opposite Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore himself had been reasonably quiet since they had arrived. It was the quietness that got to Harry eventually, and a skill specific to Dumbledore. His doddering was an art, melting chocolate and stirring in warm milk while moving his head gently to an unheard tune. His actions weren't filled with anticipation, or an angry silence, just space; and you'd confess your innermost secrets just to fill the void.

"No," Dumbledore agreed, settling his cup down looking poignant.

"I just, I, well," Harry stuttered trying to put his feelings into words. But how could you describe it? _How could you explain that before it was just sordid anticipation? Now it was real, and it scared the hell out of him_.

"I never paid him much mind. You know? I just knew he was 'out there' and it was frightening but there was always something to keep me busy, he wasn't strong. But now he's back and even worse - he's not _out _there any more - now, he's in _here_," Harry gestured to his head, his finger resting on the lightening bolt scar. "And, I guess now it's real, he's back, there is the prophecy and there is," Harry dropped him voice to a silent whisper, "death. I just don't know how to handle it."

"Nobody does Harry," Dumbledore said quietly, and Harry felt a short burst of anger or loss, he wasn't sure which, in the heat of Dumbledore's red and gold office it all felt the same. _And Dumbledore?_ He was supposed to know everything, see everything, Harry was unnerved by the old man's helplessness. "I never wanted this to happen to you." The headmaster whispered into his teacup.

Suddenly, Harry remembered something, from a frog card, long ago, "How did you do it?" Harry burst excitedly for the distraction, "Grindawald, how did you do it?"

Dumbledore's face darkened like he had just lent back into a shadow, "there are many ways to defeat a man Harry," the old man's voice sounded coarse, "it's best you don't defeat yourself in the process."

"I don't understand," Harry said, he had no time for the headmaster's riddles, he had to be rid of Voldemort, be rid of his fear.

Dumbledore sighed, "I was angry Harry, very angry. Grindawald had destroyed my family, my wife, my life. When I killed him, I killed a part of me too."

"Oh," said Harry pushing a little back in his chair. He was shocked. Ron often joked that Dumbledore had been born with a beard, wise, all knowing, it was almost impossible to see him as a man, even more so a man who had made dark mistakes - a murderer. He debated leaving, in the end he just settled in his chair a green gaze unwavering on Dumbledore. Dumbledore had been watching him carefully and once Harry settled, momentarily got reflective.

"They were similar dark times Harry," the Headmaster explained. "Grindawald wasn't as politically active as Voldemort, having come from Europe, but his terror was just the same. Innocent lives, terror, that's partly why I started the Order of Phoenix the next time round, nobody should have to live through that. But here we are again," Dumbledore sighed and wiped his glasses before continuing on with his story. "I still worked at the school then, a Transfiguation teacher. My wife and I lived in Hogsmeade, so I'd walk over each morning, we were so glad to have finally settled down. I was ready for a quieter life after working in for the Ministry. When Grindawald came to England it was about the same time Tom started Hogwarts. I could feel it, like a dark cloud moving in on my life when it should have been my time for rest. I still remember the feeling, like trying to breathe underwater, you can see the air just above the surface, and sometimes I wake up at night shivering with the memory."

Harry shifted in his seat, the headmaster's face was if it was looking through him and was coated in the most terrible sadness. Dumbledore shifted his eyes downward, hunched in his chair he seemed so old, so alone. Like a lone tree atop a storm ravaged hillside, so bare and open.

"It was a Hogsmeade weekend, there were students everywhere," his voice soft and teary, "it had snowed but it was a sunny day. The snow seemed to gleam and sparkle and walking down the street surrounded by laughing children almost made me feel like the dark shifty shadow of fate had decided to abandon us for a day of much needed happiness. I guess, in retrospect, it's the days like that which always end up the worst."

Dumbledore paused, settling his glasses on the table and massaging his temples with old tired fingers.

"Grindawald and his supporters turned up about noon. I was yelling at the students to get inside, running down the streets calling out to them. I was already an old man Harry - I wasn't prepared for this. He sauntered down the street as if he owned it. Cursed the students, their screams eerily echoing of the pristine white ground. I called for him to stop, I know he cursed me too but I can't remember feeling it, I think I was too worried to feel anything else. He wanted the Philosophers Stone, he knew I had been working with Nicholas on it. At first I defied him, and then he hit the students with Crutuitis and I had to listen to their screaming. Tom was hit, withering on the ground screaming. But, I wouldn't tell him…..not a first anyway."

Dumbledore sighed, his sigh deep when he continued his voice soft and gentle, "it was the Gryffindor curse of foolhardy bravery that abandon me at the last. Still I wonder if I had held onto it for too long, I had let them harm my trusts, my pupils, my children. They had Amy, my half blood wife. Tattered and beaten they tossed her in front of me, her eyes begging me to help her. I guess I couldn't accept that sometimes there isn't any other way. I told them, I told him, told him everything. I fell to the ground next to my wife and battered pupils telling Grindawald - the very face of evil - the secrets to immortal life."

Dumbledore's eyes glazed over in memory. The old man eyes were cradling tears, one blink and they would fall down his lined cheeks and crooked nose. "And, he killed her."

The tears dropped slowly like time had stood still, "He killed her. It was all for nothing. I could not stop myself. The curse left my lips before my wand was in my hands. He crumpled to the floor like a dropped satin dress. The glow that shone around me, the light that flooded back into the Wizarding World stopped at his dead body. I looked at him, whispering to myself in a low voice, as if he were sleeping instead of murdered by my hand. People said he would have turned to us each in turn, he was a murderer and an evil man. But, I have never forgiven myself. Harry, that's what I was trying to protect you from," Dumbledore said urgently snapping out of his glazed reflection, "Harry, it's a different battle, you won't make the same mistake, I'll help you, we'll find another way."

"A way the Dark Lord knows not," Harry whispered silently. It suddenly made sense, why Voldemort feared Dumbledore and why Dumbledore trusted Snape. He knew what it was like to come back from a circle of hell. But what way? _What other way? _

The headmaster sunk further back in his chair, unlike his previous hunched form of the confessor. There was a small feeling of relief that flowed through the air. Dumbledore repicked up his cup taking a long sip.

"As most of the children are staying for the Christmas Holidays I have been thinking of a Christmas Ball, Harry, what do you think?" he said conversationally lightening the air immediately.

Harry was almost caught off guard by the not so subtle change of conversation, "Err, yeah, it sounds like a great idea."

"I thought so, I plan to get Minerva and Severus to help with the preparations."

Harry chuckled, Snape would not be very happy with that.

"Now I wonder, what should we do for music?" the Headmaster asked.

The admissive air was broken and Harry helped Dumbledore organise some of the Christmas Ball. Still, Harry couldn't help but feel a little out of touch with what the students would want. He was greatly relieved that Dumbledore was talking to him this year and it seemed the two of them had taken another step together in their friendship. When he finally stumbled out of the headmasters office he spent the next couple of hours scouring the halls for Garuda. The little snake was nowhere to be seen.

****

Harry was the last to wake up that morning and he woke up feeling much better. He dressed quickly so he could scan the castle for Garuda one last time before breakfast.

__

There you are, hissed Harry the next morning when he found Garuda bathing in a sunny spot under an Entrance Hall window.

Garuda fussed while Harry wrapped him around his arm but otherwise just looked sleepy.

"Harry!" Harry heard a familiar shout.

Spinning around he noticed Ginny and a flood of students filing out of the Great Hall. 

"Hey Gin," he greeted the flushed red head, as she ran up to him.

"Glad I caught you, want to go to the ball with me?" she asked without any stuttering.

"Um," Harry began but she had interrupted him.

"At breakfast Dumbledore announced that we are having a Christmas Ball as most of the students are staying at Hogwarts for the holidays, safer here you know, and well, I know you don't have anyone in mind and it would put the pressure off the whole thing."

She made it sound like she was doing him a big favour. "Yes, I mean I'd like to but won't Dean be upset?"

"Honestly Harry," she exclaimed punching him lightly on the shoulder and laughing, "I wasn't actually going out with Dean that was just to annoy Ron, and boy did it work. Did Dean tell you that Ron actually gave him the talk?"

Ginny giggled, and Harry felt slightly queasy, what if Ron got angry with him for going with Ginny? Or perhaps his queasiness had something to do with another thing entirely; and he definitely didn't want to think about that.

"But, he should be fine with us going as friends. I wonder if he'll get up the nerve to ask Hermione this year. He has new dress robes so that shouldn't be a problem. Honestly, he doesn't have a clue. Anyway I have Potions so I have to hurry but I'll see you at DA tonight."

"Yeah sure," answered Harry still reeling from being asked out.

__

Going as friends, Harry coaxed himself as he walked into the Transfiguration classroom.

__

Yeah right, Garuda snickered.

*****

Ron had stopped Quidditch training for the holidays, as the teams next game wasn't till February and everyone needed the time off. He and Harry, however, still spent some evenings getting more training in. Dusting off after a mock game the two boys headed back to the Gryffindor tower.

"Thank god you're taking Ginny," Ron said, "I was a bit worried about Dean. They were getting too serious don't you think?"

"Um…."

"Did she tell you why they broke up? If he hurt her he'll be in big trouble? Did she seem upset?"

"Not really." Harry got in before Ron started up again.

"Good. Anyway mate, I'm glad it's you I won't have to worry and you can scare off some of the others. This big brother stuff is hard especially now Fred and George have left, you missed breakfast eh? We should head back then."

Ron kept walking and talking about Quidditch and his brothers Fred and George who had restarted their business. Harry knew he should be excited for Fred and George but he was still worried about Ginny. Harry swallowed nervously and followed a step behind Ron. _Luckily Ron thought we are just going as friends_, Harry thought, _but that's what is happening isn't it? Then why do I feel so guilty?_

"Look what we have here," a drawling voice interrupted, as the smug Slytherin stepped out from the castle.

"Shut it Malfoy," Ron spat, and Harry stepped in behind Ron glaring intently at Malfoy and Theodore stepped out to stand behind Draco.

"Tsk Tsk, I wouldn't talk to me that way Weasel, after all, my master, won't be pleased to hear that tone."

Ron's eyes fluttered to the pale boy's arms, which were covered by long black sleeves. Harry knew the boy was lying because Snape had told the Order the initiations weren't scheduled until Christmas. Unless, they had been moved forward and the initiations were a trap for Snape. Or perhaps Malfoy was just lying, it wouldn't be the first time.

"How's it feel to be a house-elf ferret," Ron quipped, "you can tell your master to go get bent."

Malfoy's grey eyes flashed, "YOU CAN'T TALK TO ME THAT WAY!" he yelled as he stepped forward.

Ron pushed Malfoy hard and the thin boy had to take a step back, Theodore drew his wand quickly but didn't look as if he were about to use it instead the boy was looking around probably, like Harry, in silent prayer for a teacher.

"Not, so tough without Daddy around are you?" Ron spat.

Malfoy leaned forward and whispered something at Ron whose face immediately angered. Malfoy was smart enough this time to back off, Theodore and he retreated quickly into a side entrance that led down to the dungeons.

Ron's eyes were tight with fury. "I'll kill him," Ron growled marching toward the hall so that Harry had to trot beside him, "I'll kill him!"

******

Ron wouldn't tell Harry what Malfoy said and he glared and became angry whenever Malfoy was around. Snape and McGoungall somehow managed to palm the preparations off to a Ball Committee headed up by Lavender and Pavarti. The rumours were the whole hall was being decorated in pink and lime green, there was ever-flowing gossip about who was going with who, and Harry had been asked no less than six times. He silently thanked Ginny for being able to get out of that easily and was glad that the school had somewhere else to outlet emotion other than violent games of Quidditch.

Ron already in a bad mood made for a very interesting Ron and Hermione situation. When Harry had suggested that Ron ask Hermione he got his head snapped off so he avoided him completely. He sat with Ginny and her friends in the commonroom hoping to give Ron a chance to ask Hermione but whenever he looked up he caught the two of them sneaking glances at each other while the other missed it.

Finally, the holidays came round and the three collapsed at their usual area. Neville had shuffled up and asked Hermione to the dance for the second time, as it was only two days away, and she had politely declined. As soon as Neville had left she turned around and snapped, "Ronald Weasley! Are you going to ask me to this ball or what?"

Ron looked flabbergasted and open and shut his mouth in shock. Harry thought about fleeing but as it would have been too obvious he settled for hissing, "You'd better ask her mate."

"Sure," Ron stuttered, his ears chameleon with his fiery hair.

"Good, that's settled then." Hermione slammed her books shut and stormed up to the girls dormitories.

"Real smooth," Harry chuckled and he was sure that Ron would swat him, instead he just gaped like a cod fish until Harry suggested they go to bed.

****

Ron was sure that Malfoy was going to make trouble at the dance and as the boys changed out of the Weasley sweaters they had been sent that morning into their dress robes Ron continued to explain, in detail, what he was going to do to Malfoy.

"……and after that I am going to get my wand," Ron continued, Harry tuned out as he tried helplessly to flatten his hair. _He was going with Ginny to the dance!_ He wondered what she would be wearing and unconsciously several revealing outfits came into his head. He tried to clear it; he should not be having these thoughts next to Ron.

Garuda resettled himself on Harry's pillow and gave him a glare. If flying snakes had eyebrows they would have been raised as if to say, I told you so.

Ignoring the serpent Harry tuned back into what Ron was saying.

"But Malfoy wasn't at the Christmas Feast today, maybe he's gone home to be with his mother and it looked like he took his stupid goons with him…"

"Malfoy wasn't at lunch?" Harry interrupted.

"No," Ron said, as he tied the last cord on his new dress robes and turned to face Harry, "l looked for him with the other Slytherins but he was missing. Snape was gone too, wish I knew what they were up too, wish we were in the Order then we'd know."

Harry flushed guiltily again, annoyed that he had to keep more secrets from his friends, and angered that tonight Voldemort would be increasing his ranks.

"No need to look so nervous mate," Ron said, "after all you're just taking Gin. What about Hermione thou?" Ron paled.

Harry snickered, "You'll be fine, come on lets see if the girls are ready."

"They'd better be," said Ron taking a deep breathe, "they been at it since four o'clock!"

The boys looked green as they descended the staircase into the commonroom.

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Harry.

****

Review Suggestions

"EVIL CLIFFIE! HOW DARE YOU!"

"I hope Ginny is wearing something other than pink, it's not the kindest to her complexion."

"Ron and Hermy are so cutesy!"


	15. Chapter Fifteen

****

Chapter Fifteen

"Oh my God!" Ron said again, as Harry hurried up to Neville.

"Ron!" snapped Hermione, "get Pomfrey now!"

At the sound of Ron's voice Neville spun around to face the boys. Neville looked awful, his round face covered in blood, a large gash drew from his eyebrow to his chin. Ron looked anxiously at the scene again before bolting from the common room.

Neville pointed at Harry for a second and then stumbled forward before dropping. Harry caught him before he hit the floor; trying to support Neville's weight, lowering the boy carefully. In a moment Hermione was already bent over Neville; she had picked up the bottom of her pink dress and was holding it against Neville's face to stop the bleeding. Ginny ran back down from the girl's dormitories holding a bucket of water and a towel.

Neville started to shake in Harry's arms. Harry fell back onto the floor, Neville's eyes were wide with fear and his teeth chattered wildly.

"Get back," Ginny said, as she wrapped a towel around Neville, "he's going into shock."

Harry squatted at the top of Neville's body brushing his hair back from his face feeling utterly helpless. _Where was Pomfrey?_

"Neville," Hermione said softly as she held onto him. "Neville," she repeated, "it's okay, Ron's getting Madam Pomfrey."

Neville's eyes opened, his breathing quickened, "No."

"Neville," Harry said, "who did this Neville?"

"Not Pomfrey," Neville said shaking. He didn't get to argue further because he had fainted.

"Hermione?" asked Harry, wondering if she knew anymore. Hermione's face was white; she was quick at work over Neville muttering curses.

"Neville, Neville what spell did they use? What spell is this?" Hermione repeated as she pushed back his eyelids. "Neville! Tell me, I can't do anything if I don't know," she snapped. Hermione began to lose it, she was shaking almost as bad as Neville had been; tears had started flowing freely from her eyes and she began to shake Neville.

"Wake up!" she demanded, but Ginny pulled her back instead moving in to press a towel against Neville's face. Hermione let out a strangled cry as she fell onto the common room chair. Others had come into the common room standing around stunned at the sight of the fallen Gryffindor. 

"Get back," Ginny yelled, as people pressed around her and Neville. Pavarati moved to comfort Hermione who was wailing. 

"He's going to die!" Hermione cried, her voice was irrational and frightened. Harry was stunned; her hands gripped the side of her face blood smeared down her cheeks. "He's going to die!" Other Gryffindors looked on shell-shocked.

"Stop it Hermione!" Harry ordered, but he was more terrified than he had ever been, he had never seen Hermione act this way, never seen her lose it like this.

Harry watched her begin to shake again, about to step up and leave his place but Ginny's soft voice filled the angst void. "It's okay Herm," Ginny said confidently, "he's still breathing and his pulse is fine. He's going to be okay."

But, Harry caught Ginny's eyes as she looked back from Hermione to Neville. Her face was grim and Harry had the sense that she wasn't as confident as she sounded.

*****

When Madam Pomfrey had arrived she wasted no time conjuring a stretcher and taking Neville down to the infirmary. Harry, Ginny and Hermione had tried to follow her inside but she left them outside the infirmary door and made a show of locking it. The three were silent as they collapsed on a bench. The halls were empty and Harry suspected everyone was at the ball probably discussing what had happened in the Gryffindor common room.

"How's he doing?" asked Ron, who came up from the stairs looking flushed, "Pomfrey told me to go down and get Snape but I couldn't find the bugger anywhere."

Hermione gasped, her lip trembling again, Harry was worried she was going to make another scene but Ron had sat down beside her and taken her hand.

"It's okay," Ron said, "Pomfrey can fix cuts in a second, can't she Harry."

"Oh yeah," Harry nodded enthusiastically, "He'll be right in a jiffy."

As if on cue Dumbledore walked out from the infirmary, he looked down at the four Gryffindor's stricken faces.

"Neville's going to be just fine," Dumbledore said gently, "he'll be up and about tomorrow good as new, you can see him then, tonight he'll have to rest."

Hermione stopped shaking and made an effort to control her breathing. 

Dumbledore clapped his hands and Hermione's dress and face were cleaned of blood. He bent down and wiped her tears, "Neville's going to be just fine," Dumbledore was looking right into her eyes, "so I hope to see you all down at the Christmas Ball - there is just another small matter I have to take care of."

Dumbledore walked off and left the four to compose themselves.

"Thank goodness Nev's okay," said Ron as he stood up. "Sorry Hermione, your flowers a bit squashed, sorry."

Ron pulled out a flattened carnation from his back pocket. Harry still remained sitting with the others.

"Sorry," Hermione said sadly, "I don't really feel much like going to the dance." Hermione smoothed down at her glittering pink dress as she sobbed slowly. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I lost control before, it's just," Hermione began to cry again and Ron pulled her into a hug. She pushed back from him after a moment, "No, it's just all my fault."

"No," said Ginny, taking Hermione's hand, "it's not your fault at all."

"But I told him too Ginny, I told him too, and what if it was much worse?" Hermione asked.

"But it wasn't," said Ginny, "Neville is fine." Hermione looked like she wouldn't be convinced until she saw him and Harry noticed her hair had started to become frizzy.

"What you tell Neville?" asked Ron.

"To take Daphne of course," Hermione answered, "he wanted to but was too afraid to ask a Slytherin. I told him that he should stop being so silly and just ask her, I knew he didn't really want to go with me."

Hermione smiled, "and I sort of wanted to go with somebody else. But, then, when she'd said yes, people began stealing his stuff and putting notes in his textbooks and now someone's done this, it's all my fault. Oh Harry," Hermione wheezed turning to him, "how you must feel, this is terrible, everything is horrible, the war, everything. And I feel so responsible, trying to push the Slytherins and the Gryffindors together."

"The Slytherins did this?" asked Harry.

Hermione shook her head, "it wasn't just the Slytherins Harry, a lot of people were upset they were going together."

Harry once again angered over the stupid house rivalries, "But a Gryffindor wouldn't do this, no one would do this, not over a house fight."

"Everyone has been so etchy lately, I should have known it would be a bad idea," Hermione answered.

Ginny piped up, "no Hermione, now more than ever we need to show house consolidation. Anyways, we don't know that's what this was all about Hermione, even so, it is not your fault. The violence, the houses, Voldemort, it's not your fault."

Ron nodded, "Yeah, Neville should be able to go with whatever stinking Slytherin he wants!"

Ginny grinned, "Ron's right for a change, and Neville wouldn't want you to miss out on it. Come on."

"Thanks guys, it's so good to have you here, oh look at me," Hermione sniffled, a sad smile on her face. "I'm such a mess," Hermione complained. Her hair had been smoothed for the dance but had little wisps coming undone due to the drama, her dress while clean was also looking a bit crushed and for effect she held out the bent carnation.

Ron blushed, "well, I think you look beautiful." Now it was Hermione's turn to blush. Ron held out his hand, "would you go to the ball with me Hermione Granger."

Hermione grinned, "Yes, but don't think I didn't notice it takes a high drama before you get up the nerve to ask."

The pair linked arms and looked at Harry and Ginny who stood nervously and nodded.

"Let's go then," said Ginny, pressing down the front of her baby blue dress. Harry nodded and reached for her arm blushing, glad that Garuda wasn't here to make fun of him. Ginny accepted his arm, using her other hand to brush back a stray hair, the rest of her fiery hair was tucked up in a beautiful arrangement making her look much older that Harry had only just realised. The four walked downstairs but before walking into the Great Hall Harry whispered, "I think you look beautiful too."

Ginny smiled at him, "I know."

******

The others had rushed to make sure that Neville was okay and for more details. They relaxed once they got the good news and soon everyone was dancing and having great fun. Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione however sat off the side watching the goings on.

"Where's Kingsley?" Hermione asked after she had been scanning the hall.

"Dunno, but look at that," Ron answered, as he pointed to the far end of the Great Hall. Crabbe and Goyle were sitting on two chairs looking thoroughly dejected. "Dumbledore just walked them in."

__

Weren't they supposed to be at an initiation tonight? Thought Harry grinning to himself, at least something tonight was going well, Dumbledore probably caught them earlier. Harry looked around at the other students taking note of who was missing, Draco Malfoy, of course, along with Theodore Nott, Roger Davies and Karl McLuber. It wasn't long before Ginny asked Harry to dance and the two found themselves on the dance floor. Harry tried his best to not think about Voldemort, DA or the Order. 

After three or four dances Harry actually managed to enjoy himself, he dance with several of the people from DA, including a solemn looking Queenie. He didn't feel the need to worry either as Ginny looked like she was having a grand time considering. He made it his duty to make sure she always had a drink and then just let the Christmas Cheer take over him for a while.

The group didn't stay out too late, as they were quite exhausted, instead retiring to bed early so that they could get up and see Neville the next morning. 

"Um, Thanks Ginny," Harry mumbled once they were back in the common room, "I had a really good time tonight."

"Good," said Ginny, and she smiled, it was so warm it lit up her whole face, "I had a good time too."

Harry shuffled his feet as the two stood facing each other. Trying to break the moment he looked over towards Ron and Hermione. They were kissing…..

"Close your mouth Harry, it is not a good look," Ginny teased.

"But, Ron, Hermione, there…." Harry stuttered. Harry, who knew Hermione and Ron both liked each other before they did, was having difficulty processing this new information.

"Oh Harry," Ginny laughed, "Goodnight."

Ginny had leant across and kissed Harry softly on the cheek before making her way up to the girl's dormitories. Harry smiled for a moment before bolting into his bed.

****

Harry told the others he would meet them at the infirmary as he walked down to Snape's office the next day. Not sure if they were continuing Occlumency training during the holidays, but not willing to take any chances he wondered what was going on with Hermione and Ron now. The dungeons were empty at this time in the morning even though a lot of the Slytherins, like the other houses, had chosen to stay for the holidays. He listened to his footsteps echo off the stone walls, but when he entered the empty classroom to Snape's office he could hear soft noises coming from behind the door. 

Harry moved quickly toward the stone door, drawing his wand in the process. The noises were definitely coming from inside and not entirely sure they were Snape Harry opted to be extra careful. Harry pulled the extendable ears he had from Fred and George and pushed them down the bottom of the door.

It sounded like sobbing, at first Harry was shocked - thinking that it was Professor Snape - but then he heard the Professor's low voice murmuring comfort. It was an odd sound and Harry took a moment to adjust himself to work out what he was going to do next. Harry thought it best that he not get caught here. He quickly pulled the extendable ears back up but it was too late. Snape pulled open his door slightly and stood in the doorway with an angry look on his face. His eyes were glittering in outrage and Harry was sure that Snape knew he had been eavesdropping. Before Harry had a chance to explain Snape yelled at him.

"Out of my sight Potter," he spat, "and fifty points from Gryffindor!"

Harry backed up quickly, stumbling backwards toward the door to the Potions Classroom. Snape had slammed the door to his office again and must have put up wards because now Harry couldn't hear a sound. The strange thing was - he hadn't needed to crane his neck to see who was in Snape's office. He would recognise that soft silver hair anywhere.

****

"The thing was, they were talking so loud anyone could have heard them," Neville was saying as Harry walked into the infirmary. Neville was propped up in bed surrounded by Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Dean, Seamus and his Grandmother.

"They were talking about how nervous they were," Neville continued.

"Thick as bricks those two," said Ron, grinning sheepishly at Neville's Grandmother.

"Who?" Harry asked, as he sat down exchanging 'hello's' with Neville and everyone else.

"There was a Death Eater Initiation on last night," Hermione explained.

"Really?" said Harry, feeling as stupid as he sounded.

"Neville heard Crabbe and Goyle talking about it," Ginny explained, "right in the corridor. Of course, he put a stop to it right there but not before they had a good go at attacking him."

"Tackling two junior Death Eaters, Neville, how could you be so silly?" his Grandmother scolded.

Harry reddened in embarrassment and anger for Neville. "I couldn't be prouder Neville," Harry piped up in support. Neville's stern Grandmother cast Harry a dark look.

"Neither could I," said another voice and the group spun around.

"Thank you Professor Dumbledore," Neville said blushing. Mrs. Longbottom opened and closed her mouth in shock.

"Surely, you don't approve of children having duels in the school, Neville could have been seriously injured," Mrs. Longbottom said angrily to Dumbledore.

"Ah Beatrice, to ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it," Dumbledore sighed, and Mrs. Longbottom had the decency to flush guiltily. 

"Our family knows only too well the result of good heartedness," Mrs. Longbottom said softly.

"Alas," sighed Dumbledore, with sincere sympathy, "perhaps you should come up to my office. The other boys families and the Minister should be along shortly but I think we have time for a cup of tea."

Mrs. Longbottom rose, and did, what Harry suspected was something very uncharacteristic. She bent over and kissed Neville softly on the head raising her hand to smooth his hair down flat.

"Your parents would have been proud of you," she said, as she followed Dumbledore out of the infirmary. Neville's face twitched as if he were about to cry but he composed himself quickly.

"So, who was missing at the ball last night?" Neville asked, his voice a little croaky but his face back to business.

"You, of course" Dean answered, biting his lip thinking thoroughly.

"Malfoy was missing," Ron said darkly, and everyone agreed shaking their heads.

Harry thought for a moment and then answered, "Karl McLuber, that seventh year Slytherin was missing along with Roger Davies."

Ginny shot him a questioning look.

"Roger?" said, Ron scratching his head as if trying to remember something about him that had given him away as a Death Eater.

"Professor Snape was missing," said Hermione, "and so was Kingsley."

The group was silent for a moment before Harry said, "we should ask the others in DA, maybe they know something."

****

Harry had plenty to think about and was angry that he couldn't find Ron or Hermione anywhere to discuss what he had seen down in Snape's dungeons, then he got angrier because he didn't know if he was actually allowed to talk about what he had seen. He had used the mirror to talk with Remus on Christmas Morning but that was before all the drama and felt like he couldn't bug him again.

Neville was eventually released from the infirmary and Crabbe and Goyle were expelled from school. Classes had started back in the New Year before Harry had the time to organise a DA meeting, muttering the charm on the coin he set it for the first evening back and was glad to see that everyone arrived at the Room of Requirement fairly promptly. 

After talking with Dumbledore, Harry had decided to get the DA group to help with the Dementor problem provided Harry let nothing slip about the Order. He hadn't expressed any of the concerns about Kingsley but he just thought it would be better if the group had something to work on. Hermione already had some really good ideas about it.

It was difficult to get the group quiet once they filled the Room of Requirement.

"As some of you know there was an attack on Neville these holidays," Harry said, and Neville waved at everyone. "The culprits have been expelled but we were able to gain some new information on Voldemort's activities. Voldemort has been recruiting, and we know that at Christmas he held initiations. His numbers are growing and we have lots of work to do. You know that last year Voldemort had the help of the Dementors who have left Azkaban. I think we should make it our objective this term to find a derivative of the Patronus spell that can tackle or kill Dementors, Hermione has written up some sheets on the origins of the spell and there are some books here. We have a lot to do this term so get to it!"

Ernie looked as if he was about to object but Harry's scowl had deterred him at the last moment. Harry's patience was thin, even after his chat with Dumbledore; he had too much to think about.

****

Review Suggestions

"Power to Neville and the Slytherin/Gryffindor pairing!"

"What is Draco doing in Professor Snape's office?????!!!!!!!!"

"Harry Potter aka Drill Sergeant!"


	16. Chapter Sixteen

****

Chapter Sixteen

"I can't believe Malfoy," Ron said, as he and Harry bolted to Divination. Malfoy was up to his usual tricks, even without his bodyguards. While Draco was keeping clear of Harry and Ron he was still giving the younger years trouble. Harry and Ron had just been too late to the scene of poor Dennis Creevey whose books had been burnt.

"Yeah, and the Nott kid too, I thought he was alright," answered Harry, thinking of the small boy who used to be friends with Blaise, Daphne and Millicent.

"I haven't seen much of Kingsley either, he wasn't at breakfast," commented Ron, as they rushed to settle on the floor of the makeshift forest. Harry was about to say that he hadn't seen much of Ron either, as Ron and Hermione had been spending some time alone since Christmas but the class had already started.

"Today," said Firenze, "we will be studying the magic of theslasperthy. Can anyone tell me what that is?"

Pavarati waved her hand excitedly. "Yes," asked Firenze after looking for anyone else. Harry thought Firenze wasn't as appreciative of Lavender and Pavarti as Trelawny had been.

"It's the magic of _feeling_," Pavarti gushed.

"Oh, oh," piped up Lavender, "this is the one where you can tell a person's future by holding on to one of their possessions."

"Yes and no," Firenze answered, "the future is not told by a persons possession, that is human rubbish. The art of theslasperthy is about sensing the aura of the person from a belonging, which is why you use a possession that is very dear to the person. By having an understanding of the belonging you can logically adapt the projections of that persons aura or future path. Now I want you all to begin with breathing exercises."

Harry grew bored as the group breathed in and out to Firenze's instruction, and further comments that nobody would be able to get it anyway as humans lacked the mindset. Harry tried to catch Ron's attention but it looked as if he had slipped into deep meditation, or sleep, Harry couldn't tell.

"Alright begin," Firenze instructed, and Harry turned to face Ron.

"Okay Ron, what have you got?" he asked, as Ron sorted through his pockets.

"Chudley Cannons Collector Card? Naw, my chess pieces, hmmm, I must have something better," Ron digged through his bag next. 

"Promise you won't laugh?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded.

"Here you are," the red head said, as he handed Harry a folded letter.

"It's from Hermione," Ron mumbled, as Harry took the paper and closed his eyes.

__

This is stupid, he thought, and felt awkward at the same time. He was holding a _love letter_, a love letter to Ron. He knew he wasn't being fair, Ron and Hermione had been keen on each other for ages, and to be fair Harry had been sort of distant from them as well, with the Order and everything that had been going on. And, Harry didn't fancy Hermione. At least, he was pretty sure he didn't.

__

Do I? Harry asked himself suddenly not so sure. _If I don't then who do I fancy?_

"Well?" asked Ron.

Harry snapped to attention, saying drably "you and Hermione are going to live happily ever after."

Ron blushed, "you don't have to be so stupid about it. You know mate, if you aren't happy about me and Hermione then tell me. Because Herm and I talked about and agreed that you come first." 

Ron looked down at his shoes. Harry felt surprisingly touched and scolded himself for being such as ass recently, "Nar mate, it's fine. You wanna try this thelsespo thingy? Here take my watch."

Ron looked glad that Harry had changed the subject and reached for the watch Remus had given Harry, Sirius' watch.

"Ouch!" Ron yelped, dropping the watch and earning a displeased glare from Lavender. 

"Sorry," said Harry, picking up the watch quickly. 

"It's a heritage watch, you know that," Ron scolded as he sucked on his hot fingers.

"Yeah, what's that mean?" Harry asked.

Ron's eyes bulged, "you mean you have been wearing it all this time without knowing what it does?"

Harry looked at the watch closely, it looked a little old fashioned but there was nothing odd about it.

"Heritage watches are protected by the family," Ron explained. "You are wearing a Black Family watch, the protection spells on that would be massive. I guess because you are Sirius' godson you could have it. Usually they have protection spells or other spells on them. Going by the Blacks it's probably filled with Dark Arts."

"I guess Remus would know what spells are on it," said Harry, as he picked up the watch and clipped it back on his wrist. Harry didn't know what else to give to Ron, he looked at his books for a second before shrugging and handing Ron his wand.

"It's all I have mate," shrugged Harry.

Ron spun the wand a little and was surprised when a few red sparks flicked out. Concentrating, he gripped the wand with two hands. Ron closed his eyes and Harry looked around at the others, he tried not to laugh as Pavarti passed Lavender her mirror.

Suddenly, the wand clattered to the floor.

"What?" asked Harry, "that burn you too? Can you stop tossing about my things?"

Ron opened his eyes quickly, his mouth formed in a round 'o'.

"I was only joking about the throwing things," said Harry, as he picked up his wand and spun it through his fingers. Ron was still staring.

"So, what did you see?" asked Harry.

Ron's mouth snapped closed and his eyes darted back to Harry's, "Nothing, nothing at all."

Harry was about to ask further but the bell rang and they had to move on to Dueling Class.

***

By the time the two had arrived at the Hall Ron was acting normally and Hermione came up to greet them.

"Hello, have fun in Divination?" she teased. She had had the lesson off and still believed that it was a waste of time, Harry couldn't agree more.

Others came to greet them and Kingsley was nowhere in sight. The chatter was growing louder as Snape entered the room. Harry didn't notice since he was eyeing Malfoy and Nott as they sauntered into the Hall.

"Silence," Snape snapped. Harry who had already had a terrible potions lesson with Snape that morning felt the day was slowly turning against him. Snape had, if possible, become worse, and even though Harry had put in the extra hours last term he hadn't been able to complete the holiday project successfully and had been given four detentions.

The sixth years were quiet and Snape glared unnecessarily at Harry who returned the gaze. "We will be practicing Defensive Duels today," said Snape in a bored tone, "so move into pairs."

Harry quickly grabbed Ron before Snape could pair him with Malfoy again. Hermione had turned to Neville but Snape was there first. Right beside Draco Malfoy.

"You can't duel with Granger, Longbottom," Snape hissed, "who's going to whisper in your ear?"

Neville cowered. "Malfoy," snapped Snape, "let's see what you make of Longbottom." 

Neville turned pale, certain that not taking Potions would have been the last of Snape. Neville had only just recently recovered from the Slytherin assult. The Professor raised his lip mockingly his greasy yellow teeth bared in a cruel grin, as if to say, _did you miss me?_

"Don't worry Neville," Harry whispered, "remember Malfoy's weak in Transfiguration."

"So am I," Neville stuttered nervously, as he walked over to the training mat. Malfoy already had his wand drawn and was grinning at Neville's fright. Most people had stopped their dueling to watch the pair. Snape moved to the corner, his expression guarded, he was waiting.

"Nonsense, you can do it Neville just use your strengths," encouraged Hermione, giving him a soft nudge in his lower back.

"My strength is Herbology and that won't help here," said Neville fumbling with his wand.

"Herbology!" Draco snorted, "We all know why you're good at that Longbottom." And he marched across the training mat stopping inches from Neville's face, his grey eyes flashing maliciously. "Aren't your parents vegetables?"

Harry felt a gold bolt of light rush from Neville, like the bolt he felt from Dumbledore that day the Ministry. The force of the spell that emanated from it was such that Harry felt his hair stand on end as he watched Draco fly off his feet. 

Harry watched as the blonde boy spun and fell from twenty feet in the air. Draco landed with a thump in front of Professor Snape. Harry wondered how Neville had moved so fast. Harry hadn't even had time to grab his wand.

Looking to Neville he realised Neville hadn't had time either. Neville slumped down on the ground completely obliterated. And Harry and the others rushed up to him. 

"Neville," Hermione cried, trying to shake him and Neville opened his eyes looked dazed and exhausted.

"Get up," she ordered, and helped him to his feet, "we have to get you to the hospital wing." Ron quickly grabbed Neville's other side the two carrying Neville out of the hall.

"Not again," murmured Neville.

Snape was up ahead, the limp form of Draco Malfoy slew across his chest as he carried the boy instead of using mobicopius. There was a line of blood dripping down the side of Draco's skull and Neville started to panic.

"Oh shit," he said nearly fainting onto Harry and Ron. They grunted to support the boy between them.

Snape turned around and glared at the boys, looking down onto the slumped form of Neville Longbottom. Harry could have sworn something unfamiliar flashed in Snape's deep dark eyes behind his cold expression. Mirth? Pride? Whatever it was it disappeared in an instant and Snape growled, "Longbottom! 150 points from Gryffindor!"

He swirled back around sweeping quickly down the corridor to the hospital wing, Malfoy's blonde head bobbing like a grim reminder of their situation. The others walked to the hospital wing a little slower and Madame Pomfrey panicked at the sight of them.

Draco Malfoy was going to be okay. He had a cracked skull and a few broken ribs though. Neville was completely drained and would be up and about tomorrow but probably not be able to use magic for a couple of days. Madam Pomfrey pushed them out.

"Whoa," said Hermione shaking her head, "Did you see that?"

"Yeah," burst Ron, now Snape was gone, "pow! Got that bloody Malfoy excellently, one blast and his flown across the room." Ron punched the air excitedly.

"I mean," said Hermione, "he didn't use a wand, not many people can do that and it was such a powerful spell."

"Did you see Snape though," asked Harry. "He looked almost proud for a second I swear it."

"Oh course he is," Ron said, "he's just happy Neville's wiped out for a couple of days."

But, as they moved to lunch Harry suspected that Ron had missed the point entirely.

******

Ron received an owl from Oliver Wood that afternoon with some trade plays and Ron announced that he was re-starting Quidditch training that night. Harry groaned, _this day cannot get any worse!_ Nevertheless he got his equipment together and walked with Ginny down to the Quidditch pitch. Harry had found he rather liked Ron as Captain, Ron would make a good coach.

Garuda had followed them, and as they warmed up he flew between them. Ginny laughed as Harry raced Garuda, the snake had gotten much bigger and despite the oddity of it, was quite a good flyer.

__

She likes you, Garuda hissed.

__

Shut up, Harry scolded.

"What did he say?" Ginny asked.

"That the others are coming," Harry answered, as he noticed the rest of the team walking down to the pitch. They landed and greeted everyone before Ron started talking about game plans. Garuda settled around Harry's neck much to the disgust of others. Harry was trying to understand the moving lines that Ron had made with his wand from Oliver's plays when he started to hear Pheonix song.

"Excuse me," he said, "I have to go to the bathroom."

Harry ducked into the change rooms and pulled out the pin, no sooner than he touched it he was transferred to the Black Manor.

Members of the Order were filing into the kitchen. Remus moved over to greet Harry.

"Hiya Harry, you look just like your father in Quidditch uniform," Remus gushed. Harry and Remus moved to sit at the table. Dumbledore was already there at the head in low conversation with Professor Snape and Arthur Weasley.

Fred and George were in the corner getting a grilling from Mrs Weasley about something and both, though two feet taller were looking down like scolded children.

"Wotcher Harry," said Tonks, as she sat next to Remus.

"Hey Tonks," Harry greeted. Tonks had bright green hair today; it was short and spiky.

Molly and the twins settled at the table, as Hagrid entered and sat down as well. Dumbledore looked grave as he turned to them and announced, "Kingsley is missing. He was on duty for the Order trailing the Notts….."

Before he could continue there was a large thump as the doors flew open and Mad Eye Moody stumped in with Kingsley hobbling and leaning on the one legged man for support. Molly rushed to Kingsley, quickly summoning blankets and a hot tea. She settled him into a chair. Kingsley sipped the drink slowly his dark brown eyes roving around the table in a haze.

"The Death Eaters knew where he was," growled Moody, his magical eye gazing at Snape. "Poor lad's been fighting off the cold for three nights now. He's been doing too much, spending too much time with that Dementor." 

"Molly?" asked Dumbeldore.

"He's going to be okay," she answered, tucking the blankets in tighter and adding some Pep-me-up potion to his hot tea.

Dumbledore smiled as he too moved over to Kingsley, "Well, that's one of the items off this evenings agenda." Yet he stoked the black mans face like a father full of worry.

Harry looked at to Kingsley whose head was slumped back. Harry couldn't help worrying.

__

'The Death Eaters knew where he was', Mad Eye's voice echoed in his head. There was a spy in the Order.

****

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"Neville is the one!"

"What did Ron see?? (Someone please let me know)"


	17. Chapter Seventeen

****

Chapter Seventeen

When Harry got back to school he was more nervous than ever, and two fiery red heads stomped up to greet him angrily.

Surprisingly it had been Ginny who snapped first,

"You can't keep running off Harry, people worry about you. We have a huge match next week and only limited training with the dueling classes and DA! Where were you?" Ginny shouted, her arms flailing wildly about her head as she stared at him pointedly.

"Well!" she demanded, and she thrust a pointed finger into his chest.

"Nowhere, I was just looking after Garuda," Harry lied nervously, biting his lip. Then noticing that he wasn't with Garuda, who had decided to go talk with Oz and Millie instead of come to Quidditch practice. Ginny noticed too.

"Just don't lie to us Harry," Ginny said, and her voice was solemn, she didn't sound angry anymore and when Harry looked down at her, her brown eyes were filled with tears. She squinted and marched off. Harry felt awful and couldn't think of a thing to say.

"I'm sorry mate, were all just a bit worried about you," Ron said, breaking the air, the two had been gazing up at the castle as Ginny had wrestled with the door and stormed inside. Harry felt awful, he was letting everyone down, again.

"I know," Harry said glumly, "it's just that I can't tell."

"Not even me," Ron asked hopefully.

Harry shook his head. Ron nodded but still looked crushed, he gathered the Quidditch gear and walked back up to the castle. 

Harry wandered off the other way. How many times would he have to lie to the ones he cared about? And once again he felt like the adults had let him down, the Order wasn't safe, he wasn't safe and they had made him promise to sit and wait. He couldn't be angry like last year, couldn't rage at Dumbledore or snap at Ron and Hermione.

They were all he had left.

He sat under a tree next to the lake where he had seen his father sit in Snape's pensive. He tried not the think about that. He didn't know how long he gazed over the still water on the lake, but the sun was almost set by the time he was interrupted.

"Best not sit that close to the lake after sunset," said a sing song voice. Luna had come up behind him and he jumped at the sound of her voice.

"What?" he asked, turning around, she was standing in the pink glow of the sunset holding a compact mirror Harry had seen Muggle women use. Luna had two orange smudges across her face like Indian war paint.

"The Trachs crawl out of the water come nightfall," she explained airily, but she still sat next to Harry beside the lake. Harry still didn't want to talk with anyone but he found he didn't mind having Luna there.

Harry didn't ask about the Trachs, instead he pointed to the mirror and asked, "what's that for?"

"It's a foe glass," Luna explained, and sure enough in the small round mirror dark figures were lurking in the background. "I transfigured it into this old compact."

Harry smiled, it looked like a good idea, "That's great Luna." She smiled off to one side. Harry hesitated and then asked, "What, er, what's the orange paint for?"

Luna shook her head sadly, "Kingsly showed me how to do it, it's an African tradition to ward of jealousy."

"Jealousy?" Harry asked.

"Yes, since Ronald and Hermione became an item. Of course, I am just happy he is happy, so I guess it must be working."

Harry cocked his head and studied her thoughtfully. There was something so honest and tender about her. Perhaps he needed some of that, of course, he only just got people to stop thinking he was crazy so it was hardly the time to walk down the school in orange paint.

"You're really something Luna," he said and smiled at her sincerely.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, "come on, join me back to the castle, they will be serving dinner soon."

Harry nodded and followed her. There was something amazingly indefinable about Luna. She made him think of others instead of himself, made him stronger instead of sorry. He knew he had to have another talk with Dumbledore.

***

Hermione ran up to him as soon as he got into the castle. "Harry," she grinned and then seemed to notice Luna, "Oh, Hi Luna."

"Hello," Luna said coldly, as she walked off to the Ravenclaw table. Hermione shook her head in Luna's direction and then turned quickly back to Harry.

"I have been looking for you and Ron everywhere, come quick I have got something to show you!" Hermione said, and Harry followed her as she began running off. They passed Neville and Queenie in the hall but Harry didn't have time to ask Neville how he was feeling and Hermione continued up to the second floor.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Oh, you have to see Harry, you have to see. I remembered reading something about a potion a while back when we were studying alchemy. Of course, Professor Snape wouldn't even talk about it, and I spoke to Kingsley about some of this stuff and he agrees with me. It was your mother that got me thinking about it, and she was good at charms. Yet, there wasn't a charm anywhere, not that I could find, I even spoke to Dumbledore and he had never heard of it. But it was the original text of the Druids that got me thinking, I have to show you first, quick." Hermione spoke quickly, and it matched the pace of her running, Harry, who was a good foot taller than her now was struggling to keep up.

They ducked into the Room of Requirement and Harry noticed that it was set up like a potions lab. 

"Snape would hardly let me use his," Hermione explained. There was one potion already set up and removed from the heat. There were books scattered on the other desk and Hermione walked over to the cauldron and dished some of the potion into a thick cup.

"Here drink this," Hermione instructed. Harry smelt it cautiously.

"It's much better than Polyjuice," Hermione grinned. Harry raised an eyebrow and swallowed it. His face screwed up in anticipation of a nasty tasting liquid but instead it was cool and sweet. Harry could feel his chest clench with the cold, a rather anti-heartburn feeling but it was gone after a moment. He waited to see what it would do. He opened one eye and looked at a grinning Hermione.

"Well?" Harry asked confusedly. He looked down at his hands and feet and they were both fine. He felt like nothing had happened.

"Cast a Patronus," Hermione instructed.

Harry raised his wand, "Expecto Patronum." There was a rush and instead of a ghostly stag appearing, a shining silver stag appearing in front of him. The stag looked like it was made of steel, and Harry reached out and touched it. It's touch send shivers through his whole body, Harry was quivering. The silver was far more beautiful than the precious silver that had wrapped baby Garuda.

The stag whinnied under his touch and Harry felt it was so beautiful that he was crying.

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed in awe, "What is this?"

"I know, isn't it beautiful! It's our answer to the Dementor problem," she grinned, and Harry noticed a silver otter scampering around the tabletop. Hermione vanished the stag and the otter with a flick of her wand.

"Now that's a Corporal Patronus!" she grinned. "You see, I was reading up ages ago about your scar, and then when Dumbledore told you that it was your mothers sacrifice that saved you it all started to make sense. You see, a Patronus can't kill the Dementors because it is simply an expansion of a happy thought, or care, which the Dementors can't handle. But, thoughts aren't corporal, aren't solid, so they can't physically kill the Dementors only repel them. You see nobody thought you could create a solid thought, or feeling. But, the Druids and African Wizards have been doing it for years. There are a lot of texts that talk of "love potions" and I am not talking about the ones that make you gar-gar and fall in love, but ones that are made of love. There are rumours about a potion that would protect the drinker from the old-fashioned killing curses, but seeing Avada Kedavra could break it no one bothered to keep the texts. But I found it! I had to translate it from Gaelic but it was there all along."

"How did you find the African text?" Harry wondered.

Hermione looked around guiltily even though she and Harry were the only ones in the room, "Well, I stole it. Borrowed it more precisely."

Harry gaped, "Hermione!"

Hermione steeled herself up and took on her lecturing tone, "Since Ron doesn't believe me about Kingsly I took it on myself to find some evidence against him."

"Did you find any?" asked Harry nervously, he didn't know what quite to believe.

Hermione paused thoughtfully, "Not exactly, he has been missing for several days now so I thought I might check out his office. I found loads of African texts on this exact subject, but not only that, dark texts too. And I mean dark, he has _Necromancer_ texts Harry."

Harry raised an eyebrow clearly confused.

"Bringing back the dead," Hermione whispered. Harry shivered, _was such a thing even possible? Could he bring back Sirius and his parents? Would he want too?_

"So, um, you gave me a love potion?" Harry asked, changing the subject. 

"Not exactly, the potion isn't the feelings it's more of a tracer. You see the potion captures the essence of love inside a person, so it can build a shield. And the Expecto Patronum, of course, expels the shield. But, instead of it creating just the thoughts, it creates the real feelings, the real emotions."

"So, the stag?" Harry asked.

Hermione grinned wildly and grab Harry's wrists excitedly.

"It's real! It's love, it's incredible Harry, and the Dementors will fall at the sight of them!"

****

Hermione and Harry rushed back down to dinner where Harry's spirits lifted. Neville and Daphne were sitting at the Gryffindor table and the school was in an uproar. The Slytherins were casting her looks of betrayal and shock, Dumbledore was smiling and others were congratulating Neville and Daphne. Neville looked amazing Harry thought, so confident, so happy, the changes he had gone through were striking. For a moment, he wondered why it was him who was chosen by the Dark Lord, and not Neville.

"Harry," Ginny said softly, as she sat at the table. Ginny and Ron had just arrived, it was clear that the two had been talking. Ron looked at Harry, he was hard to read, and that was unusual.

"Gin," Harry answered, "I'm sorry, it's just there are some things I can't tell you."

Harry glanced down the table, everyone was surrounding Neville and nobody was watching Ginny and Harry talk.

"I know," sighed Ginny. "It's just that you let nobody in and I thought…You can trust me Harry." She looked pleading for a second and then shook her head, "I'm sorry too."

"I do trust you," Harry heard himself begging her, "I am going to try and include you, I have instructions, but I will work it out."

"It's not just the disappearances Harry, it's you, you can't do this," Ginny explained softly. "No matter how much we might want it."

Was possible for him to have a relationship? Is that what she was asking? He worried about stuffing everything up, he worried about making Ginny cry like Cho. Ginny looked at him pleadingly, like she would believe him if he said he was ready. But, he had already hesitated, he couldn't.

"Sorry," Harry said, looking down at his plate.

"It's okay," Ginny said smiling, and she took his hand and squeezed it. Harry smiled too, oblivious to the pain that had engulfed her.

****

Review Suggestions!

"They should go and take down those Dementors!"

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"Daphne and Nev are great! I am going to write a ficlet with their stories!"


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